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Kremlin wants to steer clear of any non-participation by Russia in 2018 Winter Olympics

Russia is a responsible member of the international Olympic movement, the Kremlin spokesman assured

MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Moscow hopes to continue its interaction with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and would like to avoid a non-participation scenario for the Russian national team in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"We hope that interaction with the IOC will continue and all the issues will be settled," the presidential spokesman said in response to a journalists’ question about whether the Kremlin considered it possible to give up participation in the Olympics, if the International Olympic Committee did not change its tough requirements for the Russian national team.

"We would not like to speak about the worst scenario related to the Russian national team’s non-participation in the Olympic Games. This is because this may do serious damage to the entire Olympic movement," Peskov said.

Russia is a responsible member of the international Olympic movement, the Kremlin spokesman said, reminding journalists of the high level of "the responsibility with which the Russian side approached the recent Olympic Games in Sochi and what assessment these games received from the IOC."

As the Kremlin spokesman said, "today’s agenda includes some problematic issues related to the doping abuse cases, which do not testify in any way to state support - there can be no talk about the state support for doping."

"On the Russian president’s instruction, our sports officials continue an intensive dialogue with the IOC and its representatives," the Kremlin spokesman said.