On Thursday, Ukraine threatened to boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris if Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to participate.
The International Olympic Committee had said that ways to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Olympic Games should be “explored further”, despite their exclusion from most Olympic sports since the military operation in Ukraine in February last year.
“Such a situation is unacceptable for our country,” Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Gotzet said Thursday.
He added that Kyiv is currently pressing the International Olympic Committee and other international bodies to mobilize support for the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympic Games.
“Our position has not changed, as long as the war in Ukraine continues, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not participate in international competitions,” he wrote on Facebook.
He added: In the event that our demand is not met, I cannot rule out the possibility of us boycotting the Olympic Games and refusing to participate.
