The Government of Chile has decided to withdraw invitations sent to Russian companies for the international exhibition of military and aerospace equipment, FIDAE. The decision is in retaliation to Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine that entered its 11th day on Sunday, March 6.
FIDAE is an annual International Air and Space Fair that takes place in the South American nation. In 2022, the event shall commence from April 5 and shall end on April 10. Till now, the Russian government has not reacted to the withdrawal of the FIDAE invitation by the Chilean Government.
Russia to not appeal against ban from Winter Paralympics
Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) has reportedly decided to not appeal against the ban over their athletes competing at the Winter Paralympics after previous reports claimed that they were headed to court. It is believed that Russia’s para-athletes will now leave Beijing on Sunday after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) barred them and their Belarusian counterparts. The sporting event began on 4 March 2022. The RPC reportedly claimed that they could not legally challenge IPC’s decision to ban their athletes from competing at the Winter Paralympics this year, but referred to their decision as being ‘politicised.’
“The decision is politicised. It contradicts all the postulates of the Paralympic movement and tells everyone: double standards, unfortunately, have become the norm for modern sports. The current situation also makes it clear to everyone: strong rivals, which the Russian team has always been and will always be, are not needed today,” a statement from RPC read. “Our team has been and remains committed to the principles of true Paralympism, the purpose of which is to enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sports excellence, inspire and delight the world.”
Russia-Ukraine war
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the people of the breakaway regions in Donbass on Saturday, March 5, in another attempt to galvanize support for his resistance against the Russian invasion. In a video message, posted on Facebook, the Ukrainian leader asserted that today was the time to fight for one’s rights. Calling the Russian occupation of the region as “temporary and artificial”, he asserted, “Ukrainians do not give up”.
In his speech, Zelensky lauded the valour of the people of the Donbass region and asked them to go on the offensive. “Donbass. Remember what they said about you. Nobody puts Donbass on its knees. And nobody will be able to do that. Everybody in Donetsk and Luhansk knows these words,” he said.