Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says IOC Russia decision 'troubling', wants restrictions upheld

July 7 : Ukraine's Foreign Ministry denounced as "troubling" on Tuesday the International Olympic Committee's decision to lift the Russian Olympic Committee's suspension and urged both countries and international sports bodies to maintain restrictions on Russian participation and use of state symbols.

"The IOC's decision to cancel the recommendations on limiting Russian athletes' participation is a troubling signal for the entire international community," the ministry said in a statement.

It called on countries hosting competitions to uphold a ban on Russian state symbols as "under this flag an unprovoked war is continuing in Ukraine". And it urged international sports federations still restricting the participation of Russian athletes to keep those regulations in place.