Polish president Duda hails a European Games without Russia

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — Poland will soon host the multi-sport European Games with Russia and Belarus excluded. Poland President Andrzej Duda has thanked European Olympic officials for isolating the countries which launched the military invasion of Ukraine. Duda was accepting a peace flame for the June 21-July 2 games from the European Olympic Committees in Rome. One week ago the IOC detailed how Russians and Belarusians could return to international sports ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Duda says he’ll host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week. He’ll tell Zelenskyy the European Games are for peace “with no pretenses … everything is all right.”