Ex-UK minister Robertson rubbishes Ukrainian claims he aided Russia’s Olympic return
Former Sports Minister Sir Hugh Robertson has shut down claims he was central to Russia’s readmission into the Olympic Games, telling Morning Wire that claims he is a “Russian stooge” are “rubbish”.
The former Conservative cabinet minister and the International Olympic Committee’s chair of the Working Group on the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, has described a series of Ukrainian accusations relating to Russia, Roman Abramovich and commercial links to Moscow as baseless after the ex-soldier led changes to the Olympic Charter on neutrality.
An IOC meeting called for complete neutrality across global conflicts, with opposition concerns that taking a stance against some but not all conflicts – believed to be over 60 in 2025 – amounts to appeasement denied by former Olympics minister Robertson.
In answering the accusations made by digital media project UkrSportBase, Robertson issued a series of denials and reiterated he has no ties “with the Russian state”.
When asked whether his working group laid the groundwork for Russia’s return to the Olympics, Robertson said it was “rubbish”, adding that “the principles of political neutrality have always been established” and that “Britain made use of them to send a team to Moscow in 1980”.
Asked whether his appointment at the IOC was a “subtle diplomatic calculation”, as claimed, to stop Euro-Atlantic criticism, the former minister said it was “absolute drivel”, stating that he did not know why he was appointed to the role.
Russia help?
The ex-Foreign Office official denied that his political and military expertise allowed it to be seen as a pragmatic measure rather than a concession to Moscow, stating that his visits to Russia came before the 2014 invasion of Ukraine and as part of his role in handing over the Olympics from London in 2012 to Sochi in 2014. He reiterated that he missed those Winter Games and had nothing to do with accusations he helped stop Team GB from wearing rainbow symbols.
UkrSportBase’s investigation used Robertson’s role as one of six trustees of Chelsea’s foundation – the organisation to which Abramovich tried to offload his club prior to his sanctioning – to accuse him of having links to Russian business.
He denied this, adding that his one meeting with the oligarch came as a minister at the 2012 Champions League final in Germany between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. The accusations were a “total misrepresentation”, according to Robertson, who says the foundation refused to hold the club for Abramovich.
Pandora’s Box
The final allegation denied by Robertson related to his role at former National Lottery operator Camelot and its sale to Allwyn. He denied it proved links to Putin’s wider business circle and the Russian state.
The 63-year-old said there was truth in the claim that the return of Russia to Olympic action amounts to a “pragmatic calculation aimed at preserving integrity of the global sports industry”, adding that denying athletes – and not federations or politicians – from one country opened a Pandora’s Box for others.
In a statement the IOC told Morning Wire: “The working group chaired by Sir Hugh Robertson had a clear mission. It was set up to address the 65 active state-based conflicts and wars in 2025, which the Uppsala Conflict Data Program recorded.
“The Working Group was not involved in discussing the provisional lifting of the suspension of the ROC.”
Artem Khudolieiev, co-founder of UkrSportBase and journalist for Glavcom, told Morning Wire: “Sir Hugh is involved in a shameful decision that helped bring Russia back into international sport. Russia is the country that unleashed the bloodiest war in Europe in the last 80 years.
“Sir Hugh is on the wrong side of history. And now his name will forever be associated with this decision in favor of Russia.”