Norway bans Russian and Belarusian athletes from entering country, Ukraine says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (photo: facebook.com/andrij.sybiha)
Norway has banned professional athletes and support staff from Russia and Belarus from entering the country for international competitions due to the ongoing aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The Norwegian authorities' decision came as a direct response to international sports federations easing restrictions.
According to the minister, efforts to bring Russian representatives back to international competitions cannot be separated from the reality of the war, as Russian elite sports remain closely linked to Kremlin state structures.
"Granting athletes a neutral status does not automatically erase these connections," Sybiha stressed.
With Finland, Canada, and now Norway taking concrete measures, international opposition to Russia's return to sports continues to grow.
The ministry noted that decisions by sports federations cannot override governments' responsibility to consider the broader consequences of Russian aggression.
"I thank Norway and our Norwegian partners for this important decision and their principled solidarity with Ukraine," the foreign minister added.
Ukraine has consistently opposed the return of representatives of the aggressor country to the international stage.
In particular, on November 8, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for a boycott of Russia's participation in the World Ice Hockey Championship. He stressed that sports officials attempting to bring Russians back into competitions are effectively becoming accomplices to their war crimes.
Earlier, on November 1, Ukraine's foreign minister also sharply criticized the position of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, stating that the CAS ruling on Russian hockey would stain the ice with Ukrainian blood.
The ministry emphasized that allowing Russian athletes to participate in international tournaments legitimizes Russian aggression and that such decisions must be reversed immediately.
