Ukraine condemned the International Olympic Committee’s decision to provisionally lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, warning that the move risks normalizing Russia’s return to global sport while Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.
Reuters reported that the IOC’s executive board lifted the suspension on Tuesday, saying the Russian Olympic Committee had removed regional sports bodies in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories from its structure. The decision could allow Russian athletes to return to many international competitions, including qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, though the IOC has not yet decided whether Russia will be able to use its flag, colors or anthem at the Games.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry denounced the move as a “troubling signal” and urged countries hosting international competitions to maintain restrictions on Russian participation and state symbols. Kyiv stressed that Russia’s flag should remain barred because Moscow is still waging an unprovoked war against Ukraine.
The Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in October 2023 after recognizing Olympic councils in occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, a move the IOC at the time said violated the Olympic Charter and the territorial integrity of Ukraine’s Olympic Committee.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry defended the decision, saying the organization does not support wars but does not want athletes punished for their government’s actions. Russian athletes had already competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
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Moscow welcomed the move. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said the IOC decision should serve as a “green light” for international federations to reinstate Russian athletes more broadly.
The decision does not automatically mean a full Russian return across all sports. Many international federations still maintain their own restrictions, and World Athletics last week reaffirmed its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes over the invasion of Ukraine.
The IOC said it would continue monitoring whether the Russian Olympic Committee conducts any activity in occupied Ukrainian territories and reserved the right to take further measures if needed. It also said Russian athletes returning to international competition would have to meet anti-doping requirements, an issue that remains sensitive after years of Russian doping scandals.
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