UK culture secretary calls for Russian participation to be banned from events

By Emily Wallin. The UK’s culture secretary Nadine Dorries has called for Russian participation to be stopped at all UK events. Speaking in the House of Commons, Dorries said Russia will be banned from attending or competing in sporting events and called for events organisers to block Russian involvement and cancel performances. She also called for the cancellation of the UNESCO World Heritage Conference due to be held in Kazan, Russia, in July. It comes as Farnborough International Airshow in the UK announced that Russian participation would be suspended from the event in July. Dorries said: “Culture is the third front in the Ukrainian war. Across sport, across the arts and entertainment, we’re ostracising Putin on the global stage. Putin is now suffering a sporting and cultural Siberia of his own making, and it will be causing the Russian leader real pain. “Putin needs the kudos of these global events to conceal his illegitimacy and the hideous acts he is perpetrating in Ukraine. The Russian despot is desperately trying to hide the grim extent of his invasion from his own people. It’s why I strongly support, and continue to encourage, the kind of emotional displays of solidarity we’ve seen across sporting events in the last week, including the Carabao Cup Final and the Six Nations. She added: “Every time an international organisation or figure publicly stands up against what he is doing in Ukraine, they chip away at Putin’s wall of lies. “So I thank and applaud all those – in this country and internationally – that have done so, and I continue to push for organisations to exile Putin’s Russia from their ranks. “It’s why I’ve called on UNESCO to bar Russia from hosting its annual World Heritage conference in June. It’s absolutely inconceivable that this event could go ahead in Putin’s country, as he fires missiles at innocent civilians in neighbouring Ukraine. If it does go ahead, the UK will not be attending.” In a statement, Farnborough International said: “Following the on-going events taking place in Eastern Europe, we have made the decision to suspend Russian participation at the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow, taking place in July. “Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine and everyone affected by the current situation. We continue to hope for a timely and peaceful resolution.” Russian firms typically have a large presence at the air show, showcasing new commercial airliners and helicopters. Several events industry associations including the Events Industry Council (EIC) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) have also condemned the war in Ukraine and released statements on the ongoing situation. The Ukraine-born president of exhibition organiser Euroindex Kyiv, and UFI Board member, Valerii Pekar, also issued a call for international support to help stop the war in Ukraine. IMEX Group this week also suspended Russian state enterprises from attending IMEX Frankfurt, which takes place 31 May–2 June.