Russia Breached An Olympic Truce By Invading Ukraine & The IOC 'Strongly' Condemned The Move

The International Olympic Committee has condemned Russia for invading Ukraine on Thursday, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of breaching a truce that calls for peace during the Games.

"The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government," the organization said in a statement.

The IOC added that all 193 United Nations members signed the truce ahead of the Games, and that deal is supposed to last until after the closing of the Paralympic Winter Games.

"The IOC is deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic Community in Ukraine," the statement read.

The tradition of the Olympic Truce dates back to ancient Greece and was revived by the IOC "to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation."

The truce calls for seven days of peace before the Games start, and seven days after they end.

It's important to note that while the Olympic Games have concluded, the Paralympics don't start until March 4. They run until March 13, meaning the Olympic period has not ended yet.

On Thursday, IOC President Thomas Bach called on political authorities to "observe [their] commitment to this Olympic Truce," and "give peace a chance.”

Russia did not attack Ukraine during the Games, but it steadily built up troops around Ukraine during that period.

Putin ordered troops into Ukraine for a "special military operation" early Thursday.

This is not the first time Russia has made a military move around the time of the Olympics. Russia invaded Georgia on the same day the 2008 Olympics started. In 2014, Russia's takeover of Crimea occurred during the end of the Sochi Olympics.