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| Ukrainian Team Remains At Paralympics, for Now | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| SOCHI, Russia — Citing a desire to promote peace, Ukraine’s delegation to the Paralympics said Friday that it would compete in the Games instead of withdrawing in protest of Russia’s intervention in the Crimean Peninsula. But the leader of its delegation cautioned that Ukraine would return home immediately if the conflict in Crimea intensified. | SOCHI, Russia — Citing a desire to promote peace, Ukraine’s delegation to the Paralympics said Friday that it would compete in the Games instead of withdrawing in protest of Russia’s intervention in the Crimean Peninsula. But the leader of its delegation cautioned that Ukraine would return home immediately if the conflict in Crimea intensified. |
| Valerii Sushkevych, the president of Ukraine’s Paralympic committee, said he had met Thursday night with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, and expressed hope that peace would reign during the Paralympics, which began with an opening ceremony Friday and are scheduled to end March 17. Putin told Sushkevych that he would consider the request. | Valerii Sushkevych, the president of Ukraine’s Paralympic committee, said he had met Thursday night with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, and expressed hope that peace would reign during the Paralympics, which began with an opening ceremony Friday and are scheduled to end March 17. Putin told Sushkevych that he would consider the request. |
| “I am very much afraid that despite striving for peace, during the Paralympic Games we will see something which could not be rectified,” Sushkevych said. Should that happen, he said, Ukraine’s delegation would leave “at that very second.” | “I am very much afraid that despite striving for peace, during the Paralympic Games we will see something which could not be rectified,” Sushkevych said. Should that happen, he said, Ukraine’s delegation would leave “at that very second.” |
| “I hope very much that my message has been heard both by the sports community and my Russian colleagues,” Sushkevych said. “I hope very much that I’ve been heard by the president of Russia.” | “I hope very much that my message has been heard both by the sports community and my Russian colleagues,” Sushkevych said. “I hope very much that I’ve been heard by the president of Russia.” |
| In a protest, Ukraine sent only the flag-bearer of its 23-member team, the Nordic skier and biathlete Mykhaylo Tkachenko, to take part in the athletes’ parade at Friday’s ceremony. Tkachenko emerged in his wheelchair to a roar of apparent support from the crowd. Earlier, the crowd had similarly cheered Putin’s entrance into the stadium. | |
| Sushkevych acknowledged that the uncertainty about his country’s participation had proved distracting for some of his athletes, who have been following the upheaval at home. | Sushkevych acknowledged that the uncertainty about his country’s participation had proved distracting for some of his athletes, who have been following the upheaval at home. |
| “I am very scared,” Sushkevych said. “I am under emotional pressure; the emotional storm in the hearts of our athletes is colossal.” He added that some members of his team had been hesitant to attend Friday’s news conference because they were fearful of crying in public. | “I am very scared,” Sushkevych said. “I am under emotional pressure; the emotional storm in the hearts of our athletes is colossal.” He added that some members of his team had been hesitant to attend Friday’s news conference because they were fearful of crying in public. |
| One athlete who attended was the biathlete Grygorii Vovchynskyi, who said that Ukraine was prepared to compete “with the strongest desire.” | One athlete who attended was the biathlete Grygorii Vovchynskyi, who said that Ukraine was prepared to compete “with the strongest desire.” |
| “We represent our country, a very young country,” he said. “Our country is 22. We are ready to fight for Ukraine. We are ready to demonstrate we are a strong, free and independent people, and we are here to demonstrate we can love life, love sport and love fair competition in all respects.” | “We represent our country, a very young country,” he said. “Our country is 22. We are ready to fight for Ukraine. We are ready to demonstrate we are a strong, free and independent people, and we are here to demonstrate we can love life, love sport and love fair competition in all respects.” |
| Sushkevych said he remained hopeful that for the next 10 days, at least, a truce would be honored. | Sushkevych said he remained hopeful that for the next 10 days, at least, a truce would be honored. |
| “We raise the flag for peace,” Sushkevych said, adding, “War and the Olympic and Paralympic ideals cannot be combined.” | “We raise the flag for peace,” Sushkevych said, adding, “War and the Olympic and Paralympic ideals cannot be combined.” |