Olympian displays sign calling for 'No War in Ukraine'

Yeah. Okay. I think what we're encouraging american citizens to do is depart. Now. Obviously there hasn't been an invasion and we don't know that there has been a decision to invade. Obviously we have a range of diplomatic presence is not only in Ukraine but in neighboring countries that are always available for us citizens. Should they need assistance back in october, the State Department estimated there were at the time, so months ago, about 6600 U. S. Citizens residing in Ukraine, not much far not much larger than that. What people should understand is that the United States does not typically do mass evacuations. Of course the situation in Afghanistan was unique for many reasons including that it was the end of a 20 year war. We were bringing a war to an end. We're not trying to prevent a war as we are. Certainly in this case there are a range of means that individuals and americans can depart from Ukraine and we have been encouraging them to do exactly that. Can you give us any more information today? To what extent has the administration been briefed? Has the President been briefed directly under the President Macron this morning? Which I believe we confirmed. Yes. And what does he understand about what came out of that meeting? Does he have the same sense of optimism the President Macron had when he left that meeting, The President spoke as I noted with President Macron earlier today. Um He as you know spoke hosted the german chancellor and I expect he will speak when with a number of other european counterparts as the week proceeds. But what we're looking at here, Kristen is uh, not reports out of a meeting, but whether or not Russia is taking de escalatory steps, they are not. They are taking escalatory, not de escalatory steps. We certainly hope that that changes.

A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small sign that read “No War in Ukraine” to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics on Friday night.Vladyslav Heraskevych's sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colors of his country's flag. He did not display the message after his second run of the night, which was his fourth and final run of the Olympics.“It's my position. Like any normal people, I don't want war," Heraskevych said after he finished competing. “I want peace in my country, and I want peace in the world. It's my position, so I fight for that. I fight for peace."The gesture came as Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine, stoking fears in the West that Moscow is planning an invasion. Russia insists it has no such designs but doesn't want Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to be allowed to join the western NATO alliance.“In Ukraine, it's really nervous now," Heraskevych said. “A lot of news about guns, about weapons, what's to come in Ukraine, about some armies around Ukraine. It's not OK. Not in the 21st century. So I decided, before the Olympics, that I would show my position to the world."Shortly after the race, the International Olympic Committee said there would be no repercussions for the athlete. There had been a question of whether the body might consider Heraskevych’s act a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. That rule, in part, states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”“This was a general call for peace. For the IOC the matter is closed,” the Games’ governing body said Friday night.Heraskevych earlier said he was not concerned about any possible repercussions.“I hope the Olympics will (support) me in this situation. Nobody wants war," said Heraskevych, who was not a medal contender. “I hope it helps ... make peace in our country."The IOC relaxed its rule against protests before the Tokyo Games, allowing athletes to express themselves politically before competitions start.In the runup to these Games, many braced for potential protests against the host country, China, which has been accused of widespread abuses against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs. It has also come under fire for its polices toward Tibet, its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong and the near-total disappearance from public view of tennis player Peng Shuai after she accused a former Communist Party official of sexual assault.Concerns over human rights abuses led some countries to stage a diplomatic boycott of the Games, while Chinese organizers warned foreign athletes that any statement that goes against Chinese law could be punished.Meanwhile, the heightened tensions over Ukraine cast a pall over last week’s opening ceremony, when IOC President Thomas Bach implored participating countries to uphold the long-running Olympic Truce, which calls for a cessation of hostilities during the Games.Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was in attendance when Bach spoke, has drawn closer to China and some have suggested he may not want to invade Ukraine during the Olympics so as to avoid embarrassing his ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping.___AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

BEIJING —

A Ukrainian skeleton athlete flashed a small sign that read “No War in Ukraine” to the cameras as he finished a run at the Beijing Olympics on Friday night.

Vladyslav Heraskevych's sign was printed on a blue-and-yellow piece of paper, matching the colors of his country's flag. He did not display the message after his second run of the night, which was his fourth and final run of the Olympics.

“It's my position. Like any normal people, I don't want war," Heraskevych said after he finished competing. “I want peace in my country, and I want peace in the world. It's my position, so I fight for that. I fight for peace."

The gesture came as Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine, stoking fears in the West that Moscow is planning an invasion. Russia insists it has no such designs but doesn't want Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to be allowed to join the western NATO alliance.

“In Ukraine, it's really nervous now," Heraskevych said. “A lot of news about guns, about weapons, what's to come in Ukraine, about some armies around Ukraine. It's not OK. Not in the 21st century. So I decided, before the Olympics, that I would show my position to the world."

NBC via AP

In this frame from video, Vladyslav Heraskevych, of Ukraine, holds a sign that reads "No War in Ukraine" after finishing a run at the men’s skeleton competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing.

Shortly after the race, the International Olympic Committee said there would be no repercussions for the athlete. There had been a question of whether the body might consider Heraskevych’s act a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. That rule, in part, states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

“This was a general call for peace. For the IOC the matter is closed,” the Games’ governing body said Friday night.

Heraskevych earlier said he was not concerned about any possible repercussions.

“I hope the Olympics will (support) me in this situation. Nobody wants war," said Heraskevych, who was not a medal contender. “I hope it helps ... make peace in our country."

The IOC relaxed its rule against protests before the Tokyo Games, allowing athletes to express themselves politically before competitions start.

In the runup to these Games, many braced for potential protests against the host country, China, which has been accused of widespread abuses against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs. It has also come under fire for its polices toward Tibet, its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong and the near-total disappearance from public view of tennis player Peng Shuai after she accused a former Communist Party official of sexual assault.

Concerns over human rights abuses led some countries to stage a diplomatic boycott of the Games, while Chinese organizers warned foreign athletes that any statement that goes against Chinese law could be punished.

Meanwhile, the heightened tensions over Ukraine cast a pall over last week’s opening ceremony, when IOC President Thomas Bach implored participating countries to uphold the long-running Olympic Truce, which calls for a cessation of hostilities during the Games.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was in attendance when Bach spoke, has drawn closer to China and some have suggested he may not want to invade Ukraine during the Olympics so as to avoid embarrassing his ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

___

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar contributed to this report.

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