Dmytro Kuleba never made such statements. In his comment to Express media, Kuleba noted that the Russian and Belarusian tennis player being admitted to Wimbledon will be a victory for Russian propaganda and a sign of collapsing West.
The Kremlin media spread a fake statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who allegedly urged to prohibit Russian and Belarusian tennis players from ‘winning against Ukrainian women.’ The propaganda is citing the Daily Mail, a British media outlet.
In reality, Kremlin propaganda once again attributes made up quotes to Ukrainian officials. Dmytro Kuleba’s comments weren’t about prohibiting Russian and Belarusian players to win. There are no such quotes in the Daily Mail and Express articles, which are cited in propaganda materials. This topic is also not mentioned in a separate Kuleba’s comment to Express regarding the Wimbledon tournament and the decision to lift the disqualification from Russian and Belarusian athletes.
In his comment to Express, Kuleba says that if last year Wimbledon ‘took the difficult but noble decision to bar competitors from Russia and Belarus’, then what has changed since? ‘There is no turning back for him (Putin – ed. note). Putin needs to maintain the morale of his people; if he cannot do so on the battlefield then sporting success becomes hugely significant,’ the diplomat notes. And since over the last year, Russia has shown neither remorse nor any changes in its actions, ‘it makes little to no sense for Wimbledon to change the noble choice to an opportunistic one.’ Dmytro Kuleba also notes that in this way the Kremlin will be given a signal that ‘the Western resolve “crumbles’ and Ukraine will feel deceived.
‘Any sign of easing the West’s stance will be interpreted as Putin’s victory. We should not hand Putin wins. This is why I proposed the UK Government to refuse visas to Russian and Belarusian tennis players,’ said Kuleba. There is no mention of any ‘ban on winning’ for Russian athletes. The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister made it clear that their very participance would be a victory for Russian propaganda.
Earlier it became known that tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be able to compete at the Wimbledon tournament in 2023. The decision to admit athletes was made by the tournament organizer, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC). At the same time, athletes will be allowed to compete in the tournament only in neutral status and only if they don’t receive state funding from Russian or Belarussian authorities. Moreover, athletes should not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the BBC, players and members of their teams will have to sign a declaration, the violation of which will result in a fine or disqualification. The tournament will be held from July 3 to 16.
Previously, StopFake refuted the Russian manipulation that the Foreign Affairs Ministry allegedly ‘does not believe in the Western aircraft supply’ to the Ukrainian military, as well as that Dmytro Kuleba was allegedly ‘surprised by Europeans who cannot survive without gas.’
