Ukraine condemns IOC recommendations for Russian and Belarusian athletes

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Sports Ministry condemned the position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate in international competitions in a neutral status.This decision was taken on Tuesday at a meeting of the IOC Executive Board in Lausanne.A written statement from the Ministry of Sports of Ukraine states that Ukraine “has always spoken out and will continue to insist that, in the context of the unprecedented and unprovoked military aggression of the Russian Federation against the ‘Ukraine with the support of the Republic of Belarus, representatives of the aggressor states should not be present in international sports arenas’ Ukraine also believes that the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes is contrary to the principles of the Olympic Charter.The recommendations of the IOC Executive Board apply to the return of athletes to international competitions in general, but not to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The decision about them will be made separately, later.Several of Ukraine’s allies have also spoken out against the IOC’s recommendations. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday he would work to form a coalition that would seek to overturn the decision, which he called “wrong and wrong”. A day earlier, Warsaw called the IOC’s recommendations shameful.The recommendations of the IOC Executive Board apply to the return of athletes to international competitions in general, but not to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. A decision on them will be made later.According to IOC recommendations, Russian and Belarusian athletes can only be allowed to compete if the following conditions are met:- they must play in a neutral status, without using the flags, anthems and symbols of their countries;- they are only allowed to participate in the individual competition, without admission to the team competition – they must not support the invasion of Ukraine and must not be representatives of the Russian army or forces of the orderThe head of the Russian Olympic Committee called the criteria unacceptable and the Kremlin said the IOC’s recommendations contain “elements of discrimination” against Russian athletes.Previously, the IOC allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in qualifying competitions in Asia. Ukraine and some of its allies have promised in return to boycott the Olympics if Russians or Belarusians participate, even as neutrals.