In connection with the Paris meeting with representatives of Ukraine, Putin commented on Wada's decision to suspend Russian sports for four years because of doping offenses. He said the decision hurt the Olympic rights.
"There is nothing to blame Russia's Olympic Committee for, and if there is nothing to blame them for, the country should be allowed to participate under its own flag," says Putin according to AFP.
Russian athletes can compete in the Olympics and in the various World Cups if they can prove that they are clean from doping and have not been part of any doping program - but only under a neutral flag.
That was the case already during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and then 167 Russians participated. According to Travis Tygart, president of the US anti-doping organization Usada, was not effective.
- It was a father's and a mockery with such a large delegation from Russia. And we know that their behavior has not changed, he tells Reuters.
- They have only become more encouraged and more flagrant every time the international anti-doping movement tries to impose sanctions. Should we just stick our heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening and try to turn leaves?
Wada has found 145 suspected doping cases among the Russian anti-doping organization Rusada's test data. Furthermore, it has been seen that quantities of data have been deleted.
Russia has three weeks to accept Wada's verdict, or appeal to the sports arbitration court Cas.