Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the International Olympic Committee for supporting a ban on Russian teams and athletes competing in most Olympics sports, ahead of a court hearing Tuesday to challenge the ruling in international soccer.
Zelenskyy met in Kyiv on Sunday with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and praised "his unwavering position" on sports sanctions against Russia and its ally Belarus, according to a readout of the visit provided by his presidential office. "While Russia is trying to destroy the Ukrainian people and conquer other European countries, its representatives have no place in the world's sports community," Zelenskyy said.
The IOC advised sports leaders on Feb. 28 to act and soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA made a joint ruling later that day. It is the subject of an appeal Tuesday by the Russian soccer federation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Olympic home city of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Russian teams have been removed from more than 15 soccer competitions including qualifying games for the men's and women's World Cups, and the women's European Championship finals tournament which starts Wednesday in England.