MAINTENANCE – For several days, the sports world has been working to sanction Russian interests. Lukas Aubin, associate researcher at Iris and specialized in the geopolitics of sport and Russia, deciphers the importance of sport for the Russian regime and how Vladimir Putin made it “a weapon” as well as’«an instrument of power».
LE FIGARO. – Does Russia use sport for geopolitical purposes?
Lukas AUBIN. – Russia has obviously used this weapon on a regular and repeated basis since the beginning of the 2000s, on the initiative of Vladimir Putin, to compete with the main powers of the planet. It mobilized mainly three categories of actors: the famous oligarchs, politicians and sportsmen. The ambition is to create a vertical, efficient model, in particular with the construction of new infrastructures, the acquisition of numerous clubs and the multiplication of major world sporting events such as the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and four years later the Football World Cup. Today, the Russian sports system is a completely controlled space with a view to promoting the country internationally.
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