Vladimir Putin pretended to be asleep as Ukraine’s athletes arrived at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing today, a moment of high political drama as the threat of war hung heavy over the Games.
The Russian strongman sat with his arms folded and appeared to have his eyes closed as Ukraine’s athletes processed into the Bird’s Nest stadium on Friday – amid fears he is about to invade their home country, sparking a bloody war and tense standoff with the West.
Meanwhile Xi Jinping received a standing ovation as he arrived to watch some 3,000 performers take part in the ceremony, which also featured frog-marching People’s Liberation Army soldiers hoisting the country’s flag as the national anthem played.
Another moment of tension came as Taiwan’s athletes entered the stadium as ‘Chinese Taipei’. Taiwan views itself as a self-governing nation, while Beijing views it as a breakaway province and has threatening to ‘reunify’ it by force. The team was set to boycott the games, but were told by organisers they had to attend.
Putin was one of just a handful of foreign dignitaries to attend the events after most Western leaders boycotted over China’s human rights record and persecutions of Uighur Muslims in eastern Xinjiang province.
The world leaders were joined in the stands by just a handful of ‘select’ guests as the event takes place inside a Covid-secure bubble to comply with China’s strict zero Covid policy.
President Xi Jinping received a minute-long standing ovation as he arrived in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium to watch the Opening Ceremony on Friday
Vladimir Putin is the most high-profile foreign leader to attend the Opening Ceremony, after many western national announced a diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record
Soldiers carried the Chinese flag across the stadium before hoisting it up a pole as the national anthem was sung
Soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army carried the Chinese flag to…
Source : dailymail
