There good evening and thanks for joining us here on r. T. International. Rusher is being kicked out of all International Sporting events for the next 4 years punishment so says the World Antidoping Agency for moscow tampering with a key database of test results from russian athletes duplicate was that water press conference in those up. What are officials announcing a unilateral decision over a 4 year ban on russia taking part in major sporting events during that period meaning that russian athletes wont be able to compete and the ban over russia nor will they be able to fly the russian flag at those major events those major events could include tokyo 2020 and also the world athletics championships is also suggestion that this could impact the football world cup in 2022 now those sanctions go much further than that it means that russia wont be able to host nor be able to bid for any major sporting events during that 4 year period russian officials wont be able to go in an official capacity to those games nor will officials in russia be able to sit on the boards of major sporting committees all boards during that time so some very very strict sanctions against russia this decision by what they said that this was a fair and balanced decision given all of the evidence in place when they were questioned about what that would mean for russian athletes who didnt have any cloud of suspicion over them when it came to doping allegations they said that each russian athlete would have to prove their innocence this is a ban against russia the protect the rights of russian each. Entry for major is. Able to demonstrate that they are not implicated in any we. Comply. To these decisions. Are really sanctioning those for responsible. Pollutions and leave those open for those who had nothing to do with. Russia clean. Water says its investigation with the sale date was forensic and that investigation showed that the data entered received from a mosque. Question had it believed to be tampered with this was that data from. The information from 2012 to 2015 while the said the data didnt match the data it received from the whistleblower which started this big scandal in regards to whether doping had taken place but what it went further and said during the time in moscow in 2018 it experts say that they had also seen that all the data had been tampered with and thats why theyve taken this decision to sanction russia as a whole for a 4 year period it did though from the date it received 145 they were able to pinpoint that had had a question mark over them were not sure if they were all russian or not but it said the only around a 3rd of the currently active now of russian officials have a very different story to this they say that the data that was handed. Hadnt been tampered with that they had applied to all of the conditions and stipulations set out by water and as a result of. That which is the russia being agency would be appealing this decision now i put that question over the evidence that russia had given to water showing it believes that they had be no tampering of data to the president while the poor response on that russia says its rejected all of the allegations of data manipulation it says its provided you evidence to counter to show that it didnt modify the data what do you have to say to that and was that taken account in your decision well i wasnt part of the discussion. Cooperation between the. Conversations they had with exam. The Russian Olympic Committee. But those people who are interested are entitle to under the standard to appeal and if he wished to appeal the of 21 days to accept this assertion or not and if they do not if they wish to appeal they move will be an irate disease clearly is technical you need to be a friend. And we pass it on immediately. Sure she is thank you very much it does not change the opinion that the 12 or so that will appeal that decision meaning that this is likely now to end up in the course of operation for that court to decide who is right and who is wrong on this particular topic and whether that ban will remain in place and of course more importantly when that ban could begin if it remains in place for the meantime though one perhaps ray of light water officials did say today that they was a possibility over changing this decision and that possibility rested on the full attempted day to being provided by that law in moscow something that the russians say they have already done so ski faulty in the song and. The Russian Olympic Committee says they want his recommendations are logical and an adequate scandal broke when one of the analysts found irregularities in the doping test database from the mosque on the border trade there are discrepancies with data that they dont have time to earlier from a whistleblower related to the time period between 20122015 about does not explain why as water says they found. After the whistleblower could have had access as late as 2018 or 29 t. Vs sports minister those as russias arguments have simply gone. It was when you know what it was leave our experts who provided convincing on says unfortunately they havent heard us resign or has time to appeal initially when we handed over the database we said lets investigate the database together so that we can make a full decision we wanted to have a kind of mechanism if we dont want to live ject of decision lets do it like this where saddam has all the necessary opportunities they could have taken a different approach than the. Various Russian Sports federations have been quick to question why this decision. Those decisions are biased inexplicable that to politicize them prejudged that punishing russia is the state which was connected to this story without showing any credible evidence wada is an absolutely non Transparent Organization punishing the states and clean sportsmen and women why should that be considered fair. But im absolutely sure its wrong to punish and impose the various functions against those 100 percent meeting every wada and limpid committee requirement. What is this is and is unfair its wrong to treat sports men and women on the basis of their nationality i believe all sports participants have the right to represent their country on the International Arena michael exactly discussed wilders decision without his alexy and sports commentator more this morning i spoke with a source in water and he said exactly was going to happen has happened its actually been a bit more hardcore and that theres a set term. Which is very very unusual and the fact that they have george massada to be noncompliant and you know theyre going to get these sanctions when the same thing happened for example in bloemfontein in south africa which is the only other time was the only african water created lob before rio. From across africa and south africa were able to compete so do seem to be a bit strange but then they have taken things as going along. In protecting athletes i dont know that that figure and we put it that bit 145 and more of the one 3rd of my simple question is this are they old russian and no one will answer it from walter because again we have to remember that the athletes tested here will also include nonrational fleets and we do know that there were athletes for example brought in for who was behind the curse. Of leave russia his samples were tested here but when you cut comeon to try and check to see what remained of his samples and his data and information because we saw it on t. V. On the big screen that he was being tested here they were all gone so we really have to ask what is there behind this and is it all the russian athletes because this is a great question for me that protecting clean athletes whos clean allow me to disagree a little bit with you because its not by far not the only question im trying to understand here they are saying almost directly that they are punishing those responsible for what happened right they are not punishing those who are responsible apparently if if we are to believe in the allegations that water and the c. R. C. Have made an Investigative Unit they have made against russia its about someone physically walking into all the boards or and altering the data deleting stuff at an old rate whatever they said in the huge statement how do those athletes who are they not batting but they are effectively you know prohibiting them from wearing their countrys flag how are they responsible for what happened. One of the people at the press conference young is the head of the investigations he said we believe that having athletes compete and you. For years without any association to the country is the best way to protect them and you called it a living on so. If you have a russian flag that means youre evil and youre deleting information again. We still dont know who deleted from a should because remember craig reset himself and this has changed from statements i want to give notice almost at the same time as going to younger and so on were in. In an office so when the next office was to leave theyve been changing their statements on this because they said when they they left the lab suddenly defend it all changed who changed it because if thats the case would be a look at the congress and he went on theres so much with this to stinks theres so much of this is just really is wrong or doesnt even make sense at all completely another thing is that it seems that you know fair enough they have implemented a set of rules in 2018 which was voiced 3 or 4 times during the press conference yeah we have the rules we have to stick by them were slapping a nation with unprecedented bond like that but what do we do with it now we have no idea when they were asked about the world cup the fifa world cup in qatar when they were asked about different other you know competitions what defines a major competition as well case by case well see what the federations think they may actually contest this decision you know if russia fails to appeal in the us if it goes to the us were pretty sure it will but i knew it seems that you know they just sort of came out with this big bang but they no no do not have no idea what to do with it at all obviously russia is not the only country to have those issues right but its the only one to having a band like that for the 2nd time in recent history but you know there are so many clean athletes here and i just want to listen to one of those stories because this guy is among those to suffer in the next 4 years apparently if we dont win the case his name is that xander took over he is a skeleton. Fleets that we talk to. You just get you should get on a bicycle and the other people in the world. Most of. The commuter. The food in this is. That i know its just we dont mind. The thought of the. Protest began. Yeah the. Know what that we all for. Just that but other. There are still no blemish thats the to be on the. Still unknown but. The connection they made a good. Business and then disappeared that might be similar but when you look for a computer the pendulum of support us they will shape the truth into us not a new family but a way to get a sneer going us im asleep i mean i see in a cause then yeah push the motion of a car to keep along with the. Go really washable into just not. Going from room all of them all the call in the office and yeah im pissed over spinning my i was at the people just the police but tell me on the porch must. Still see me and. Making a funny. Im going to la now by investigative journalist ric sterling welcome i just want to get your response to this 4 year ban handed down by i want to some people dont think it was harsh enough some are completely opposed to it will take. Well i. First of all i think it will definitely go to the court of arbitration in sport as it should a couple of questions coming to mind right away as you know the source of the trouble is supposedly manipulation of the data in the the data that was provided by moscow is different than the data that is in the socalled whistleblower database. One question is why dont they simply go to the urine sample and determine if if for if it is. Is or is not contaminated. Because supposedly 11 database says that the urine was contaminated and the other has an indication that it was not so why dont they just go to the go to the sample itself another question that i have is is regarding water as you know is supposed to be an International Organization that is objective and fair. In fact their motto is play fair. The question that i have is why is there Compliance Review Committee that is the source of this report that resulted in this decision why is the Compliance Committee only made up of representatives from western countries the chair is from the u. K. The the vice chair is from canada and the other 4 members are all from western aligned countries so so that calls into question its own objectivity at least it should go on to out of its way to prove through through extra credit spirit see through its objectivity and i think i think thats thats really quite questionable you mention of the wanderers to apply found its considered a fair and principled organization. Said that it wants to punish those responsible the same time there was a quote from the chair Jonathan Taylor he said that those who could prove their innocence should not be punished those who can prove their innocence so thats the complete opposite of whats considered a bedrock of of legal principles around the will the presumption of innocence why is it different in sport why do athletes have to prove their innocence. Well it seems like the presumption of innocence this is not being applied in this case theres if you are a russian its presumed juror you are guilty. Thats the and i think there is the legitimate suspicion that that sports is being politicized here this isnt the 1st time it it happened it it happened in 1980 and again in 1984 at the at the olympics 1st of all in 1900 the the u. S. Led in a group of countries that with with would not compete in the in the moscow olympics and then 4 years later. In moscow or russia did the same in los angeles but it looks like the politicization of sports as it is underway here the russian athletes the contemporary and the future are russian athletes who would be completely competing in tokyo at the next summer olympics theyre the victims of this if there were some of violations years ago by athletes it they should make be making every effort to find who was guilty and to punish them appropriately. Maclaren in my home or mclarens report to the to his socalled independent report for for water he accused over 1000 russian athletes of of violations its turned out that its really a handful because in the number of athletes contested the situation at the corner bar patrician of the sport and most have been bent been found found innocent or the they were not deemed guilty so theres a presumption of guilt that is is really a violation of of of fairness and including the water the water theme. It is what are struggling with the fact that this is uncharted territory for them normally they would be punishing an individual athlete thats fairly simple you ban them from competing this time theyre putting the blame on a nations government they dont really have the jurisdiction to punish them and it seems like theyre doing it in directly by banning government ministers from attending Sports Events is quite obviously that attempt to punish politicians by banning the use of the National Flag of the National Anthem being played even though those partaking considered innocent thats still being implemented i wonder struggling with the finding the right powers to fix what they see is a problem with politicians. Well youre right this formally was the domain of the international Olympic Committee and through in the in the last few years water has has claimed and has received more and more more and more author already but as i point out this is its its very questionable waters based in canada as i said the 6 members of its Compliance Review Committee are all from the west. Is so so the you know its really questionable now in the background weve got some prominent. Prominent athletes and members of of u. S. And canadian and u. K. Sporting federations who are who are really vehement and i think theres a theres a concern that the commercialization of sport may be a factor here in that you know in the beginning it was it was not like this but increasingly being a gold man or a gold medal winner at the olympics makes makes what you can make one a lot of money and and so theres a theres a question of whether that this is influencing some some athletes i mean if if they take a gold medal if they have a competitor a strong competitor in russia if they eliminated before the contest to be even begins they dont have to they dont have to do. It to prevail in the in the in the competition so. Hopefully that would not be the case but i think i think realistically one has to look at that as a possible factor with the very outspoken and almost hyperbolic state months from coming. Especially canadian and u. S. Athletes weve been handed over extending investigative journalist thanks for your time ric. And then tom some sports personalities of expressed fears that any ban could be motivates a generation of future reference. How can you ban entire team and not only ban it team and entire supports for a country for 4 years its absolutely ridiculous its an overkill. On what it should do its job to do with claims concerning individual athletes not with the country as a whole they have a dream like god the so there was 18 years old to go to the little sort of world to. Compete for their country for the love of their sport for the love of their country and i would be one of the best dont want to deal. With the sport is being dragged down by politics in a place where politics should be completely absent sport is becoming hostage. The influence of politics is intensely felt in this desire to disqualify the whole National Team why does decision to ban russia will affect everybody and it will cause great shock. Concerning weightlifting i would say the decisions either politicized were just incorrect. What kind of message is that son mean to our children and we always talk about. The youth of our mission because that is tomorrow well when you ban the whole country from participating you kill all out of you. I think that 1st and foremost this will affect children and their interest in sport. Our children have taken their future away with they want to do what they love our way because of what a couple individuals did in the past its just i mean its ludicrous theres a make any sense at all. Ok well bring you updates on this story lots more analysis throughout the evening stay with us for that. Turning to other news now the meeting of leaders of france germany russia and ukraine has started paris for the socalled normandy for talks to thrash out a roadmap to peace in Eastern Ukraine to trying to reports from the french capital. This monday is a very big day here at the palace in paris its a very big day for europe a very big day for ukraine just a short while ago we saw the french president and manual macron welcoming his guests from Ukraine Russia and germany the 1st one to arrive was angle of merkel then it was full dimmers and then president and ill tell you what we couldnt even understand if it was him for a moment because he came in on a plane. Minivan and the last of the 4 leaders to arrive was Vladimir Putin just an hour before that though a group of topless femen activists. There. Now if you look at the schedule i can tell you that before the 4 leaders sit together in one room 1st a number of bilateral going to happen and the last element of the schedule will be the historic meeting of lattimer putin and. Selenski now let me just break down why the number one politicians from 4 countries are holding talks and that building ill tell you what technically the bloody conflict between the breakaway republics of donetsk and lugansk and kiev has been solved but theres one important remark its been solved on paper now this step by step plan that several years ago was hammered out by the leaders of Ukraine Russia france and germany its called the minsk agreements and i can tell you that for all these years from east to west from all kinds of politicians weve been hearing that this plan is the only way to go to support the implementation of the minsk agreement because the reason the alternative no plan b. Exists. In my opinion this is the only way they can create a climate in Ukrainian Society where they were able to make painful compromises regarding the states of their own bias. I agree with the chancellor ive also said there is no other alternative to the implementation of all minsk agreements with help of the l. S. E. You however if we look at whats really been happening on the ground in reality pretty much none of these steps were actually taken and now there is a new chance theres a new government in kiev and thats why the quartet is getting together for the 1st time since 2016 but more importantly we are expecting the 1st ever meeting between the president of russia and the president of ukraine since the civil war in that country broke out in 2014 you know before summit leaders will hope press conferences following the talks will be crossing live to that later on this ng. Ok and wrap things up for this news hour plenty to come this evening stay with r. T. International for more news and analysis. Join me every thursday on the alex simon chill and ill be speaking to guest of the world of politics Small Business im show business ill see you then. You know world of big partisan. Lot and conspiracy its time to wake up to dig deeper to hit the stories that Mainstream Media refuses to tell more than ever we need to be smarter we need to stop slamming the door. And shouting past each other its time for Critical Thinking its time to fight for the middle for the truth the time is now for watching closely watching the hawks. Facebook and google started with a great idea and great ideals unfortunately there was also a very dark side. They are constructing a profile of you and that profile is real its detailed and it never goes away turns out that google is manipulating your opinions from the very 1st character that you type into the search bar it will always favor one dog food over another one comparative Shopping Service over another and one candidate over another they can suppress certain types of results deiced on what they think you should be seen if they have this kind of power then democracy is an illusion the free and Fair Election doesnt exist the more road we give them the sooner we all hang. Hello and welcome to cross talk where all things are considered on Peter Lavelle 1st ukraine leaders from Russia Ukraine germany and france meet in paris to tackle ukraines internal divisions are there reasons for optimism and impeachment are the democrats secretly scheming to have actually reelected. Cross talking some real news im joined by my guest here in moscow dimitri bobbitt shes a political analyst and