- Sanctions against two countries ‘not negotiable’, says IOC
- Ukraine hopes to secure widespread support for bans
A week after seeming to open the door for Russia and Belarus to compete at the 2024 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it is standing by sanctions imposed against the countries over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The IOC issued a statement on Tuesday in response to comments by Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of Russia’s Olympic Committee, earlier in the day. He in turn was speaking after the IOC’s own announcement last week that athletes from the two countries, banned from competing in Europe, might be allowed to earn slots for Paris 2024 through Asian qualifying systems.
