Russia Responds to Romania's Ban on Russian Flag

Russia has strongly reacted to the ban on the use of Russian state symbols at the World Gymnastics Cup in Romania. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the Romanian authorities' actions were arbitrary and emphasized that the Russian side would not let this matter go unaddressed.Zakharova highlighted the ugly consequences of the "rusophobia" that has been escalating in Romania over the years, stating:

It is deplorable that the escalation of Russophobia in Romania in recent years has led to such ugly consequences. This situation exposes the lawlessness in the country, where ordinary people are treated arbitrarily and a country that is clearly unable to provide equal conditions for participants in major international competitions is allowed to be humiliated. Therefore, Romania should be deprived of the right to host such events.

She described the Russian athletes' refusal to participate in the tournament without their flag and national anthem as a "justified response" and continued:

Despite the recent decisions of the International Gymnastics Federation and the European Gymnastics Union to lift restrictions and restore the rights of our athletes, the use of the national flag and anthem was banned at the championship in Romania. The only possible and logical response from the Russian side was to withdraw from the competition.