Today, Ukraine threatened to boycott the Olympic Games, which will be organized by Paris in 2024, if athletes from Russia and Belarus, whose national teams were expelled from almost all international competitions after the Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory, were invited.
The possibility of sending invitations to Russian and Belarusian athletes was mentioned this morning by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who stated that she wanted their participation, but without emphasizing national characteristics.
The day before, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) indicated what would have to happen in order for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions again.
"This situation is unacceptable for our country," said Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadim Gutzeit.
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"Our position remains unchanged: as long as the war in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not participate in international competitions. If this is not respected, I do not exclude the possibility of a boycott and our refusal to participate in the Olympic Games," Gutzeit wrote on Facebook.
On Wednesday, the IOC announced that "no athlete should be banned from competing solely on the basis of a passport", after consultations with representatives of athletes, international federations and national Olympic committees.
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