MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi.
The Games are due to take place between March 7 and March 16.
Putin said that he would also try to attend some sporting events, including the sledge hockey and skiing.
“You know, when Paralympians ski it’s amazing [to watch], it’s some sort of performance art,” Putin said during an interview with Russian television channels.
Preparations for the Paralympic Games have been overshadowed in recent days by events unfolding in Ukraine, which faces the risk of being split apart as local authorities in the Crimean Peninsula push for a referendum on secession.
Some countries, including Britain and the United States, have said that planned attendances by top officials at the Games will not take place because of mounting evidence of Russian military deployments in Crimea.
