Valerii Sushkevych's speech at the press conference of Ukraine in the Main media center of the Paralympics-2024
Now here start the 17th Summer Paralympic Games...
And yesterday russia started the biggest rocket and bomb attack on Ukraine. In more than 10 hours russia has launched 127 rockets and 109 drones on peaceful cities and towns of Ukraine. Russia spent 1.3 billion dollars on this missile attack on almost the entire territory!
On the eve of the Olympic and Paralympic Games the international Olympic and Paralympic community talked about the possibility of an Olympic truce. French President Macron spoke and called for these hopes.
And russia once again, as in the last 16 years, starts wars during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They do it especially cynically during the Paralympic Games, because the consequence of any war is precisely thousands and thousands of people with disabilities.
And Russia's cynicism lies precisely in the fact that it has always, disregarding the high humanism of the international Paralympic movement, emphatically started wars, murders and violence right at the beginning of the Paralympic Games.
Dear colleagues, dear representatives of the European and world media!
The limitlessness of Russia's cynicism was once again manifested today in this most massive, most terrible rocket-bomb attack of the entire war, which, according to experts' forecasts, will continue and intensify throughout the next week - that is, throughout the Paralympics in Paris.
My question to the entire Paralympic community is: are we missing the point?
Are we not aware of what is happening at the beginning of the Paralympics in Paris and will continue during the world's highest quadrennial sports forum?!
Why am I asking you this? Why am I asking this the leaders of the international Paralympic movement?
Because there is a fact of a clear definition of the United Nations on this matter - on November 26, 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution in which it was written that the Olympic and Paralympic movement is a UNIQUE MEANS OF PROMOTING WORLD PEACE.
Almost all UN countries voted for it.
Dear media representatives!
2.5 years ago, again before the start of the 13th Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, russia launched a full-scale murderous war with terrible bombings, missile attacks, mass shootings of civilians, launching a military offensive along the entire border of Ukraine!
A day before the start of these winter Paralympic Games, the leadership of the International Paralympic Committee made a decision, which was supported by the world Paralympic community, to prevent the murderous and aggressor country, together with its satellite, from participating in the winter Paralympics in Beijing.
We have seen the powerful civilized solidarity of both the president of the International Paralympic Committee and the leaders of the IPC in the fight against war and against violations of the principles of philosophy and morality of the international Paralympic movement.
At the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Beijing, we heard the finale of the speech of the IPC president, who literally loudly shouted one of the most valuable words for all mankind - Peace!
The value of this word remains even greater and most important today, when over these 2.5 years russian aggressors have killed hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people, including women, the elderly, people with disabilities and children...
WILL THIS MOST PRECIOUS CONCEPT FOR ALL HUMANITY AND FOR THE UNITED NATIONS SOUND AT THE OPENING OF THE PARALYMPICS HERE IN PARIS – PEACE???
Yesterday, Western countries appealed to the UN Security Council about the need for an extraordinary review and reaction of the United Nations regarding the largest-scale murderous missile-bomb attack on Ukraine!
I appeal to all of us here at the Paralympics, do we not notice that this cynical murderous missile attack was carried out as a challenge to the entire global Paralympic community and as a disregard for the humanitarian principles of the international Paralympic movement?
And now I have to tell you how, with the powerful support of the russian president, the National Paralympic Committee of russia skillfully involves the international Paralympic movement in the occupation and murderous activities of the russian army.
I quote the words of the leader of the russian Paralympic Committee and the official website of the russian National Paralympic Committee:
"The participants of the special military operation in Ukraine are an example for all of us, they are the real elite of our country";
"..our heroes from the special military operation in Ukraine should be set as an example to the whole society";
"..participants of the special military operation strengthen the spirit of our nation."
In his television interview, the president of the russian NPC stated that Paralympic shooting is close to the participants of the special military operation. They are more prepared in shooting, so they can be recommended for participation in Paralympic, national and international competitions..."
Listen, media representatives, and realize what the russian Paralympic figure is saying - russian Paralympians in shooting are well prepared for the Paralympic competitions, based on the experience of murders and shootings of civilians in Ukraine. And that's why they are ready to participate in the Paralympic competitions!
What this "russian Paralympic leader" says next - the sports achievements of the participants of the special military operation in Paralympic sports are the result not only of their training, but also the result of their combat experience on the territory of Ukraine.
Another quote from the leader of the russian Paralympians is that a russian wheelchair fencer during the competition says that he is particularly interested in fencing because it reminds him of the battles and duels he had during the special military operation. And he says that "I live by it"!
Listen, he continues to live murders in Paralympic sports!
Another russian paralympian in archery declares that archery is very close to him, because he was an attack aircraft-grenade thrower: "It is very similar to me. My soul rejoices when I shoot!" he says.
And the archery coach of the russian Paralympians is happy that it is the Paralympians who have passed their course who understand better what a shot is and that they need fewer years of training when preparing for shooting, since they have already gone through shooting practice!
Do you understand??? Practice shooting at people???
Yes, these murderers will not be at the Paralympics today among those who are so-called neutral...
But all the athletes of our Paralympic team and I personally, as the president of the National Paralympic Committee, affirm:
ALL THESE SO-CALLED NEUTRAL SUBJECTS OF THE RUSSIAN PARALYMPIC SPORTS ARE ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THE MURDERS AT THE SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE!
Is anyone ready to deny this to us?
THEN I APPEAL TO ALL OF YOU: ASK THESE SO-CALLED NEUTRALS HERE, IN PARIS, AT THE PARALYMPICS - DO THEY SUPPORT RUSSIA'S MURDEROUS WAR OF OCCUPATION ON THE TERRITORY OF UKRAINE?
Do they support russia's largest ever missile attack ahead of the 17th Summer Paralympic Games? But it will be a question of the media...
And I have a categorical demand to the leaders of the international Paralympic movement - and to the organizing committee of the Paralympic Games: let's try to ensure the TRUE NEUTRALITY of these russian and belarusian Paralympic sports entities in the same very simple way - LET EACH OF THESE NEUTRAL ENTITIES OFFICIALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION - DOES HE SUPPORT THE WAR IN UKRAINE?
I also appeal to our respected President of France, Mr. Macron - depending on the fact of the answer to this question regarding non-support of the war in Ukraine, which can become a real criterion of neutrality, you will be able to either extend the visa regime for neutral subjects of Paralympic sports, or cancel visas for staying in France.
It is this procedure that will make it possible to ensure the absence of those who support murders, violence, occupation, violations of international law, the UN charter, high humanitarian principles and the philosophy of the international Paralympic movement on the territory of the highest Paralympic sports forum in the world and the struggle for peace as the highest right of every person in the world.
And the last...
DEAR FRIENDS, DEAR COLLEAGUES! I WILL ASK YOU AND MYSELF A QUESTION - A TERRIBLE QUESTION - WILL THE 17 PARALYMPIC AND 33 OLYMPIC GAMES BE THE LAST IN HUMAN HISTORY???
TODAY TOP RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP THREATENED TO START A NUCLEAR WAR...
And today, russia has put the world on the verge of liquidation of world civilization, the destruction of humanity!
That is why I ask you to pay attention to the fact that the leaders of the civilized states of the world are joining forces, making efforts to use all possibilities to ensure peace in Europe and the world, to prevent the 3rd world war.
Both the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee, together with the United Nations, must join forces in the fight for peace, for the right of every person in the world to live in peace, without the threat of armed attack, murder, violence from any country in the world!
