Ukraine eases restrictions on athletes, allows them to compete against Russian and Belarusian athletes who are under neutral flag

The Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sport has issued a decree easing the ban on Ukrainian national teams participating in international competitions with athletes from Russia and Belarus.

The document cancels a previous decree which did prohibit Ukrainian athletes from participating in the same competitions as Russian and Belarusian athletes. The restrictions applied to all representatives of Olympic, non-Olympic, and Paralympic sports.

The new decree says that athletes from Ukraine will be prohibited from competing only in competitions in which Russian and Belarusian athletes take part:

• under their national flags,
• with the use of national symbols (including public actions or statements expressing affiliation with the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus.)

Thus, RBC-Ukraine concludes, Ukrainian athletes will be able to compete in competitions in which Russians and Belarusians take part only in a neutral status.

The ban dates back to the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that international sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.

However, in March 2023, the IOC issued recommendations that would permit international sports federations to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete. To do so, athletes need to fulfill several conditions. Among them — not supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and not having any ties with the country’s power structures.