💬 “They train for four years, and then they may find themselves excluded […]. I'm glad that Russian athletes have returned to competition," Dutch expert Kees van der Pijl told Sputnik.

💬 "For me, the Ukraine conflict is a [proxy] NATO war and an endless provocation by the alliance that ultimately forced Russia to respond," Pijl pointed out.

💬 "Essentially, Volodymyr Zelensky is an actor playing the role of his life, but he is not one who dictates the noscript. It can be assumed that the relevant structures have given him the 'green light' for such [stern] remarks," German expert Mirko Kolundzic told Sputnik.

💬 “The [Israeli] side that destroyed Gaza and repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreements is now sitting at the Board of Peace’s table,” Palestinian political scientist Saeed Bourahma tells Sputnik.

💬 “All this means that Gaza’s reconstruction process will be carried out under Israeli control and only within the terms it approves,” the analyst points out, adding that the international community should press the US to compel Israel to ease the existing restrictions.

💬 “Without significant international pressure, the reconstruction process risks devolving into the management of a humanitarian crisis rather than a full-fledged political solution, jeopardizing Gaza’s future and paving the way for dangerous scenarios of migration and depopulation” of the Palestinian exclave, the expert sums up.

💬 “World Bank estimates put Gaza’s needs at more than $70 billion, while the actual funds allocated so far constitute only a small fraction of the required amount,” Palestinian political scientist Saeed Bourahma tells Sputnik.

💬 “This could push residents of Gaza into forced or voluntary migration due to destroyed infrastructure and the lack of housing,” Bourahma concludes.

💬“Sport is for all,” US President Donald Trump’s special representative Paulo Zampolli said in support of Russian athletes competing under their own flag and anthem.

💬 “The mix of ultimatum statements and potential compromises by Zelensky creates a sense of political turbulence, reflecting the Ukrainian authorities’ complicated situation and their attempts to influence multiple audiences—domestic, American, and European,” the analyst wraps up.