News Snapshot:
Countries have exploited sports for nation-building and other political purposes since time immemorial. In authoritarian regimes like Russia, sports development programs are intimately connected to the military industrial complex. Allowing Russian athletes, who represent the most powerful rogue state on Earth, to participate at the 2024 Paris Olympics would be the ultimate sports-washing disaster of the 21st century. Russia is no stranger to sportswashing. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Ukrainian Crimea weeks after hosting the Sochi Olympics. In 2018, Russia hosted the World Cup weeks after helping the dictator of Damascus massacre civilians with chemical weapons in the...
