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Russia criticized the U.S. diplomatic boycott in Beijing, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling reporters in December, \"The Olympic Games should be free of politics.\"

Other countries join in

Several major nations have joined the U.S. in its diplomatic boycott of the Games.

One day after the U.S. announced its plans, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would not send an official diplomatic representative to the Games, also citing the Chinese government's human rights violations.

\"PHOTO:
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
PHOTO: The Olympic rings and the National Stadium are pictured amid snowfall on Jan. 20, 2022 in Beijing.
>

On Dec. 8, the United Kingdom and Canada joined the diplomatic boycott.

The Japanese government said it wouldn't send a delegation to the Games but hasn't declared a boycott, as of January.

By the end of January, several other European countries joined in the diplomatic boycott, including Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark.

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