The IIHF has very evasively commented on the return of the Russian and Belarusian national teams to the WC

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) “raised” the issue of the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the international sports circuit last week.

The national teams of Russia and Belarus will not participate in this year’s World Championship, which will take place in Riga and Helsinki, but when commenting on the potential participation of these national teams in the 2024 World Championship, Tardif did not mention the war in Ukraine.

“We have an obligation. We have to ensure the safety of all players, staff and fans. It’s our responsibility and our decision,” Tardif said.

The IOC received widespread criticism for its proposal to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to the sports scene. Tardif revealed that he plans to hold talks with IOC representatives soon.

“It will not be an easy decision, but we are not here to make only easy decisions,” Tardif emphasized.

This year’s world championship was supposed to take place in St. Petersburg, but after the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia lost the rights of the organizers.