Anatoly Peskov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Association for the Protection of Athletes' Rights, Expressed His Opinion on Globalism, Internationalism, Nationalism, and the Fate of International Sport.

Question: Why did you choose such a broad topic for the interview?

Answer: Because the fate of international sport depends on solving the common problems of human development and interstate relations. There will be no unity in international sport until politicians stop using international sport as a geopolitical arena for hostility. And we must have no illusions on this matter.

Question: When will we remove politics from international sport?

Answer: Never. Sport cannot be outside of politics, although this is officially declared by all international sports organizations and the Olympic Charter. Sport is an integral part of any state policy. All states, in one way or another, finance or support national sport, regulate the activities of sports federations, and do everything possible to ensure that their national flag flies proudly at international sporting competitions. And there is nothing wrong with this. However, today, politicians have crossed the Rubicon, turning sport into a weapon of the Cold War and political struggle, flagrantly violating the rights of athletes from individual countries for political reasons, humiliating their national dignity, and harming the development of international sport. This is why it is important to preserve the principle of political neutrality of sport and define the boundaries of the autonomy and independence of international sport. If we do not establish such boundaries, at least provisionally, then international sport may cease to exist altogether in its current form. We will witness both the humiliation and discrimination of athletes from individual countries, as happened with Russian and Belarusian athletes and the complete destruction of existing international sports organizations. International sport is a paradoxical phenomenon; it is always subject to any state policy. However, without autonomy and independence from these policies, its existence will be impossible. This is a real contradiction. But such is reality.

Question: What should be done to preserve the integrity of international sport and protect it from political influence?

Answer: The current system of international sport governance and sports adjudication should be reformed. This system today appears to be a historical anachronism. It is undemocratic, lacks transparency, corrupted, and unable to withstand modern political challenges. The leaders of some international sports federations are elected without competition and without regard for the opinions of national sports organizations. Their autocratic power can easily be controlled by politicians. No one can stop their arbitrary rule. This also applies to the International Olympic Committee. Is it right, for example, that IOC members are elected solely on the proposal of the organization's Executive Board, without the direct participation of national sports organizations, and in almost half of the cases includes members of royal families, aristocrats, generals, and other individuals with no connection to professional sport? This organization is not controlled by national sports organizations, does not report to them, and is outside the scope of public and financial oversight. It's no surprise that the IOC is mired in scandal and corruption. Many of its members are regularly caught bribery and financial misconduct. Therefore, politicians and intelligence agencies from various countries always have the opportunity to exert pressure on the leaders and members of this international sports organization to further their aggressive political agendas. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne will not protect sport from the decisions of politicians, either. The IOC and its affiliated organizations are the court's founders and its financial sponsors. Sports justice will never challenge an IOC decision on fundamental issues. Only certain IOC decisions can be appealed to the Swiss Supreme Court. However, you should agree that it sounds absurd from the perspective of international law to sue an international court in a national court. Therefore, in my personal opinion, reform of the international sports governance and sports justice system should have begun yesterday.

Question: But the Olympic movement once truly was the center of human unification. The ideas of Olympism, the Olympic Games, and the victories of our athletes inspired us all. Today, however, we are witnessing disintegration in international sports, driven by the politicians of individual countries. When will the ominous political clouds over international sports lift?

Answer: When the overall international situation changes for the better. And nationalist politicians are replaced by internationalist politicians who capable of living in peace with their neighbors.  Imagine living in an apartment building. You have neighbors who declare their exclusivity and assert that their interests are above those of other residents in the building. They prohibit their neighbors from using the shared elevator, declare common areas their property or their own sphere of influence, restrict residents' entry to the building according to their own criteria, and impose additional financial levies on them for their own  selfish purposes. What will happen to this apartment building? It will collapse, and the peaceful existence of its residents will end. The actions of such people can destroy not only the apartment building, but also international sports, as well as all of human civilization and even our planet. Therefore, our international organization sees the protection of international sports from the actions of such politicians as its primary goal. I dream of a time when, at international sporting events, athletes from all countries will show their politicians examples of peace and mutual respect. About that time when Russian and Ukrainian, Arab and Jewish, American and Iranian, Greek and Turkish athletes will shake hands sincerely and with kindness. The main mission of international sport is to set an example to all politicians and people of how to be friends and build peace on our planet.

Question: You have repeatedly advocated for the Russian national flag at sporting events. At the same time, you supported the IOC's long-standing idea of ​​eliminating state symbols of power from all international sporting events. So, are you really a nationalist, an internationalist, or perhaps a globalist?

Answer: Like any Soviet citizen, I was raised in the spirit of internationalism and respect for people of all races and nationalities. I am a leftist, an internationalist, and a supporter of the unification of humanity. I am proud to be a son of the multinational Soviet people. And I believe that every athlete should not only be a patriot of their city, region, and country, but also live in love and harmony with their neighbors and people around the world. They should be ambassadors of peace and advocates for the unification of humanity in international sport. For me personally, all people are equal, and I evaluate them not by their national, political, or religious differences, but solely by their moral qualities. It is precisely this spirit of internationalism, mutual respect, and high moral standards that prevails in our international organization. I believe our planet needs a new moral climate and new policies capable of uniting humanity and living in friendship with all the peoples of our world. My favorite quote is, "God is with those who unite. The devil is with those who divide."

However, I still don't understand your attitude toward the ideas of globalism. In Russia, the word "globalist" has recently acquired a negative connotation. So are you really a globalist, despised by many Russian politicians? Or perhaps even worse, are you a liberal?

Answer: I understand your irony. However, I still want to express my personal point of view. There is nothing wrong with the idea of ​​globalism. Our planet has all the conditions for uniting people. The internet, mobile communications, tourism, developed international communications, mass migration of people, interethnic marriages, the formation of state alliances and various international organizations at the highest level create unique conditions for international cooperation in economics, culture, and sports. And what's wrong with the people of our planet uniting, creating a global economy that takes into account their fossil resources and climate, beginning to jointly combat social injustice, poverty, and natural disasters, holding international sporting competitions, and strengthening peace on our planet? In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this. There's nothing wrong with the formation of international law institutions and various centers of globalism, such as the UN and the International Olympic Committee. So, I'm a globalist in the best sense of the word. However, these globalist processes and ideas are disliked by some nationalist, autocratic politicians and religious leaders, as they undermine their power over people and their minds. Therefore, they hate the internet and the free exchange of information and opinions between people of different countries, impeding the free movement of people and the dissemination of truthful information. It should also be kept in mind that transnational companies operating under the guise of globalists exploit the labor of people in poor countries. There are also "dark" forces that deliberately destroy states, religions, families, and other social structures of human community in order to seize global power. One may or may not believe in the various conspiracy theories about a secret world government of bankers, oligarchs, and members of royal families. However, it must be acknowledged, as the Epstein case has demonstrated, that these forces really exist and act contrary to the interests of humanity, fomenting wars and spreading epidemics. The nature of these forces, in my opinion, is still insufficiently understood and studied. At the same time, everyone understands that we cannot allow world events to continue unfolding according to their will, including in international sports. Therefore, today, more than ever, we need strong democratic and peace-loving nation states, intelligent and wise politicians capable of defending universal human values, reaching an agreement on a new multipolar world order, and establishing peace on our planet. Our international sports organization will certainly support the activities of such politicians. As for the idea of ​​liberalism, it was compromised by so-called "liberal politicians" in Russia in the 1990s. Their policies led to the collapse of our country, its economy, traditional values, and the impoverishment of the population. I, like most Russians, hate these politicians, some of whom served in the secret services of foreign countries. However, I see nothing wrong with the ideology of liberalism itself. What, for example, is wrong with such liberal values ​​as equality before the law, the separation of powers, or the electability and rotation of power? There is nothing wrong with these ideas. Many of these ideas are reflected in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. People and their lives are the most important values ​​of our civilization. Therefore, we must protect the fundamental rights of people, including in international sport. This is the main goal of our international organization.

Question: Anatoly, these so-called "dark forces" are in fact quite likely demonic forces. They have come to our planet today, controlling the minds of politicians, sowing discord between nations and ordinary people. We are already on the brink of World War III. You, a naive dreamer from Russia, still continue to talk about uniting people?

Answer: Yes, perhaps I am very, very naive. However, I continue to believe in a bright future for humanity and the common sense of ordinary people. Without even a naive belief in love, kindness, friendship, and other such values, humanity will cease to exist. The fate of humanity today depends on the outcome of the struggle between Kind and Evil within each of us. People make history, not some abstract, mythical dark forces. Each of us must understand where Kind is and where Evil is, and kill the Devil within us. Unfortunately, the path to understanding simple truths can be very difficult. Sometimes, only towards the end of our lives do we begin to understand the significance of true values. But I believe that sooner or later, all people on the planet will awaken, make the right moral choices, and peace will reign. I truly hope that international sport will become a focal point in this struggle for peace. And that the members of our international organization will actively participate in this struggle. Forgive me, an ordinary, simple person, for my overly general, perhaps even banal, moralizing thoughts and long monologue about the meaning of our existence.

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