The United Kingdom will continue to support a continuing ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting events, including at next year’s Olympics, the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, has said.
The International Olympic Committee announced last month that it was “exploring a pathway” for athletes from the two nations to compete as neutrals in qualification events for the Paris Games having called on federations to exclude them following the invasion of Ukraine, the first anniversary of which is this week.
But more than 30 nations, including the UK, the United States, France and Germany, have pledged their support for the ban to stay in place while the war continues.
Frazer, who chaired a meeting earlier this month of ministers from countries united in wanting the ban to remain, believes the IOC’s plans are “not credible” and has urged the governing body to reconsider its position. “We agree that [Russia’s president, Vladimir] Putin cannot use sport to legitimise his actions on the world stage,” Frazer said in a statement. “This coalition of nations has supported Ukraine on multiple fronts and we will continue to do so.