Navigating the intersection of sports and politics: the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on Estonian sports organizations

Abstract

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia prompted a complex dilemma for international and national sports federations, with divergent approaches to Russian and Belarusian athlete participation. In Estonia, sports organizations face the challenge of navigating between the global governing bodies’ directives while considering domestic policies. The thesis explores the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on the Estonian Olympic Committee, the Estonian Tennis Association, and the Estonian Fencing Federation and their alignment with Estonia’s foreign policy while raising two questions: (1) Do sports organizations in Estonia contribute to Estonian security posture towards Russia’s war against Ukraine? If so, how? (2) How does the Estonian foreign policy affect the work of Estonian sports organizations internationally? The research methodology encompassed the review of the International Olympic Committee statements, joint statements issued by relevant stakeholders, and official press releases from chosen sports organizations, complemented by interviews with key individuals within the Estonian sports community. The key findings confirm that the sports organizations contributed to the country’s foreign policy by raising awareness of the war at the international level and issuing joint statements with neighboring countries, thus projecting a united front that all contribute to eliminating Russia and its representatives. However, uncertainties persist regarding the impact of these actions, given factors such as Estonia’s geographical location, the democratic voting system within international sports bodies, and the proximity of member countries to the war zone. The study indicates that despite the absence of a formalized sports diplomacy strategy, Estonia has used sports as a diplomatic tool to project its voice on the global stage and build solidarity within the international sports community. This contributes to understanding the relationship between sports, geopolitics, and diplomacy.