The beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 marked a new chapter in the geopolitics of sport. Sport is increasingly intertwined with geopolitics, as can be seen in the case of the war in Ukraine. The definitions of critical geopolitics, national identity, sports diplomacy and soft power are discussed in detail in this paper. We will also touch upon the supposed neutrality of sport, which has taken on new dimensions with the onset of Russian aggression. In the empirical part of the thesis, the role of sport is analysed in the Soviet era and in Russia, which still uses sports diplomacy to achieve political goals, strengthen Russian national identity and build the country's image. Sporting successes, ambassadorship, sponsorship and hosting of major international sporting competitions greatly contribute to this. The key ones were - the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The implementation of this type of sports diplomacy has initially been a great success with the domestic public, while it has failed in later stages. Russia's image has been significantly defamed by the doping scandal, the subsequent forced annexation of the Crimean peninsula and the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022. The reaction of the world public has been harsh and many sports federations have adopted sanctions against Russian sport, following the IOC's recommendations. This has left Russia isolated and in an unenviable position, as the damage caused could have a major impact on the future of Russian sport. A detailed analysis of the sanctions adopted and released has also been carried out in the research. The thesis concludes by presenting the findings of the analysis and the effectiveness of sports diplomacy as a source of soft power in geopolitics, with a focus on the potential of sport as a tool for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The research makes a significant contribution to understanding the complex links between sport and geopolitics.
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