Ukraine ends boycott of competitions with neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus

This is stated in the order on the Ministry’s website.

Now, Ukrainians cannot participate in competitions where Russians and Belarusians perform under their national flag, use national symbols, or express affiliation with Russia or Belarus through actions or statements.

This means that Ukraine no longer boycotts competitions where athletes from Russia and Belarus compete in a neutral status.

The previous restriction was effective from April.

What is known about Russians and Belarusians in the Olympics:

On January 27, IOC chief Thomas Bach said he supports the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics, despite Ukraine's threats to boycott.

        On January 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had written a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron over the possible admission of Russia to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

On January 30, an adviser to the President's Office called the IOC a promoter of Russia's war against Ukraine for supporting Russian and Belarusian participation. The Foreign Minister said Russian army representatives might take part in the Games. The IOC denied the criticism, and Latvia said it won't join the 2024 Olympics if the war in Ukraine continues.

On January 31, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko said that admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympics is "betrayal of the Olympic spirit" and a "monumental mistake". “They have a gold medal in the deportation of children and rape of women,” he pointed out.

In February, the Olympic Council of Asia allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Asian Games without consulting other countries. Those athletes won't compete for medals or awards, and Asian athletes won't be disadvantaged for the 2024 Olympics.

On February 3, Poland and the Baltic states issued a joint statement opposing the return of Russians and Belarusians to the Olympics. On February 7, they were joined by five Scandinavian countries.

Former coach of the Ukrainian national football team Andriy Shevchenko has appealed to the IOC and urged to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the war in Ukraine is over.

On February 20, 34 countries demanded the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics. The European Parliament passed a resolution for the same, but the IOC disagreed, calling it against the Olympic Games' mission and human rights.

On February 21, the IOC called the European Parliament's resolution demanding the suspension of Russians and Belarusians from international competitions contrary to the mission of the Olympic Games.

On March 30, Ukraine decided to boycott tournaments featuring Russian or Belarusian athletes. In April, the PACE President opposed Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Olympics due to Russia's war on Ukraine.

On June 22, PACE asked the IOC not to invite Belarusian and Russian athletes, even under a neutral flag, for the 2024 Paris Games.

On July 23, Ukraine considered abandoning the boycott of sports competitions involving Russians and Belarusians under a neutral flag.

On July 26, it was reported that the National Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus didn't receive invitations from the IOC for the 2024 Paris Olympics.