Finland seeks to ban Russian athletes from Schengen area over Ukraine war - FM
Photo: Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen (Getty Images)
Russian athletes may be banned from entering Finland and the entire Schengen Area if Moscow does not cease its aggression against Ukraine, states Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
The Finnish government is preparing specific legal steps to block Russian citizens from entering the country.
"If Russia continues its war of aggression, Russian athletes will not be welcome in Finland next year. I will promote the necessary actions in the coming days," Valtonen emphasized.
Furthermore, Finland seeks to extend this restriction to all Schengen states.
"At the October Foreign Affairs Council, I will inform my EU colleagues that we would restrict Russian athletes' access to the entire Schengen area. The Commission is on the case," noted the head of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne ruled in favor of Russia, ordering the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow Russian national teams to participate in tournaments.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha strongly condemned the CAS verdict, noting that allowing Russian hockey players to compete would stain sports with the blood of Ukrainians, and called for the immediate cancellation of this decision.
In response to the controversial verdict, the Ukrainian Hockey Federation is preparing a note of protest and initiating urgent negotiations with the IIHF, while also assessing risks and exploring the possibility of boycotting future world championships involving Russia.
