Ukraine bans its national teams from competing with Russia and Belarus in all sporting events

Ukraine's Sports Ministry has forbidden its national teams from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic, and Paralympic events where Russian and Belarusian athletes will be participating.

The sports ministry published a decree, signed by the country's deputy sports minister Matvii Bidnyi, on its website on Friday.

"To prohibit official delegations of national teams of Ukraine to participate in international sports competitions in which athletes from the Russian Federation and/or Belarus participate," the ministry's decree read.

"The Departments of Olympic Sports, Physical Culture and Non-Olympic Sports, the Ukrainian Centre for Physical Culture and Sports for the Disabled (Invasport) shall ensure the withdrawal of official delegations from their trips if athletes from the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus are participating in the respective competitions," it added.

The decree recommends that "all-Ukrainian sports federations monitor possible participation of athletes from the Russian Federation and/or the Republic of Belarus in international sports competitions and promptly inform the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the event of such facts taking place."

It also provides for recalling the delegations of Ukrainian athletes from tournaments if Russian and Belarusian athletes participate.

The ministry said that in case of the violation of a decree, the sports federations of Ukraine will be deprived of their national status.

The decision comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended that international sports federations allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international tournaments as neutral athletes/teams and also opened the door to allowing them to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.