On Sport and Diplomacy: On the Occasion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
... sports competitions offer a platform for fruitful political meetings and contacts. The 2014 Winter Olympics turned Sochi into a venue for official meetings of President Putin with the leaders of The Netherlands, Turkey, Japan, and China. Ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, more than ten heads of state or government have confirmed that they will attend the opening ceremony in Moscow. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel stated recently that she did not rule out a visit to Russia for the occasion. All ...