Former UK Sports Minister Robertson Rejects Ukrainian Accusations of Aiding Russia's Olympic Return
Key Takeaways
- •Sir Hugh Robertson chairs the IOC Working Group on the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, which was established to address 65 active state-based conflicts recorded in 2025 and was not involved in discussing the provisional lifting of the ROC's suspension.
- •Robertson denied all UkrSportBase allegations connecting him to Russian interests, including claims about his trustee role in Chelsea's foundation and his involvement in Camelot's sale to Czech operator Allwyn.
- •The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 after it incorporated regional sports organizations from occupied Ukrainian territories.
- •Robertson stated that his only meeting with Roman Abramovich occurred in his ministerial capacity at the 2012 Champions League final in Germany.
- •UkrSportBase maintains that Robertson bears responsibility for a decision that helped restore Russia's participation in international sport.
Former Sports Minister Sir Hugh Robertson has firmly rejected claims that he played a central role in Russia's readmission to the Olympic Games, dismissing allegations that he is a "Russian stooge" as "rubbish" in comments to City AM.
Robertson, a former Conservative cabinet minister and current chair of the International Olympic Committee's Working Group on the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, faced a series of accusations from Ukrainian digital media project UkrSportBase relating to Russia, Roman Abramovich, and alleged commercial links to Moscow. The former soldier led changes to the Olympic Charter on neutrality, which an IOC meeting said should apply across all global conflicts. The debate over Russia's Olympic status has been one of the most contentious issues in international sport since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the IOC suspending the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 after it incorporated regional sports organizations from occupied Ukrainian territories. Critics raised concerns that taking a stance against some conflicts but not others — believed to number over 60 in 2025 — could amount to appeasement, a characterization Robertson denied.
In responding to the UkrSportBase claims, Robertson issued a series of denials and reiterated that he has no ties "with the Russian state."
When asked whether his working group laid the groundwork for Russia's return to the Olympics, Robertson said the suggestion was "rubbish," noting that "the principles of political neutrality have always been established" and that "Britain made use of them to send a team to Moscow in 1980." The 1980 Moscow Olympics saw a US-led boycott over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, though Britain allowed its athletes to compete, with some participating under the Olympic flag rather than national colours.
Asked whether his IOC appointment was a "subtle diplomatic calculation" designed to blunt Euro-Atlantic criticism, the former minister called it "absolute drivel," stating he did not know why he was appointed to the role.
Links to Russia and Abramovich
The former Foreign Office official denied that his political and military background could be seen as making the neutrality policy a pragmatic measure rather than a concession to Moscow. He said his visits to Russia occurred before the 2014 invasion of Ukraine and were part of his role in transitioning the Olympics from London in 2012 to Sochi in 2014. Robertson added that he missed those Winter Games and had nothing to do with accusations that he helped prevent Team GB athletes from wearing rainbow symbols.
UkrSportBase's investigation highlighted Robertson's position as one of six trustees of Chelsea's foundation — the body to which Abramovich attempted to transfer the football club before being sanctioned by the UK government in March 2022, a move that forced the sale of Chelsea to a consortium led by Todd Boehly. The outlet used the trustee role to allege ties to Russian business interests.
Robertson denied the claim, stating his only meeting with the oligarch occurred as a minister at the 2012 Champions League final in Germany between Chelsea and Bayern Munich. He called the accusations a "total misrepresentation," noting that the foundation refused to hold the club for Abramovich.
Pandora's Box
The final allegation Robertson addressed concerned his role at former National Lottery operator Camelot and its sale to Allwyn, a Czech-based lottery operator that entered the UK market after acquiring Camelot in 2023. He denied the transaction proved any links to Putin's wider business circle or the Russian state.
The 63-year-old acknowledged there was truth to the idea that Russia's return to Olympic competition represented "a pragmatic calculation aimed at preserving integrity of the global sports industry," arguing that banning athletes — rather than federations or politicians — from one country would open a Pandora's Box for others.
In a statement to City AM, the IOC said: "The working group chaired by Sir Hugh Robertson had a clear mission. It was set up to address the 65 active state-based conflicts and wars in 2025, which the Uppsala Conflict Data Program recorded."
"The Working Group was not involved in discussing the provisional lifting of the suspension of the ROC."
UkrSportBase told City AM: "Sir Hugh is involved in a shameful decision that helped bring Russia back into international sport. Russia is the country that unleashed the bloodiest war in Europe in the last 80 years."
"Sir Hugh is on the wrong side of history. And now his name will forever be associated with this decision in favor of Russia."
