Several countries, through the National Olympic Committees, are demanding a halt to the process of the return of Russians to world sport.
24.12.2025 18:30
Photo: Yuri CORTEZ / AFP / AFP / Profimedia
The return of the Russian flag and anthem to several sports met with sharp criticism from the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Five Nordic countries and three Baltic republics launched a coordinated protest against the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) summit to allow young athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete internationally without political restrictions.
Two years ago, sports officials from these countries, under pressure from their governments, threatened to boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes participated, albeit as neutrals. Although such boycotts are no longer under discussion, two critical letters were sent to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, calling the easing of sanctions “inappropriate” and demanding that IOC chief Kirsty Coventry “ensure the protection of those committees, federations and athletes who refuse to compete against representatives of Russia and Belarus”.
Two weeks ago, the IOC advised all sports organizations to allow junior athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete with national symbols, including in team sports. This process has already started, for example, in volleyball, horse riding or fencing. The issue of lifting sanctions was also publicly discussed in chess and handball.
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However, this trend is categorically rejected in the Baltic states, where the official ban on visits by any athletes from Russia and Belarus, even those with neutral status, is still in force. Due to national laws, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania face serious sanctions as Kirsty Coventry has repeatedly stated the unacceptability of visa barriers for athletes accredited by international federations.
The presidents of the National Olympic Committees Kersti Kaljulaidová (Estonia), Raimonds Lazdiņš (Latvia) and Daina Gudzinevičiūtė (Lithuania) are in favor of “keeping the ban on representing their countries under their national flags, anthems and symbols at all international competitions, including junior competitions”, because “this creates the basis for the spread of state propaganda in international sports, especially in the sensitive segment of youth sports”.
They propose that only those Russian and Belarusian athletes who “have passed reliable neutrality and anti-doping tests and have no ties to military, government or propaganda structures” can participate in major competitions. In addition, the Baltic states insist that anti-Russian athletes be allowed to stage political protests at competitions with impunity.
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“We ask for the protection of those Olympic committees, federations and athletes who refuse to compete against the representatives of Russia and Belarus, and we ask that they not be punished, sanctioned or otherwise disadvantaged,” the statement quoted by err.ee said. “Sports and culture can play an important role in reconciliation and rebuilding bridges after the events in Ukraine. However, while they continue, rights must be accompanied by clear obligations. Sport must remain a bearer of hope and peace. The Olympic Committees of the Baltic States intend to continue to show solidarity with Ukrainian athletes and people.”
Russian and Belarusian athletes have been repeatedly refused entry to competitions in the Baltic and Northern European countries in the last four years. The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian football and futsal national teams have canceled matches against Belarusian teams accepted for FIFA and UEFA tournaments. It is expected that the boycott will soon be extended to the qualification for the European Junior Championships (Women’s Under-17 and Men’s Under-19).
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians, in support of whom the Baltic states are protesting, have abandoned their strategy of not participating in tournaments that feature the Russian and Belarusian flags, keeping only a ban on handshakes and group photos. Any matches with Russian and Belarusian teams in team sports are also prohibited. This policy is strongly enforced in the Baltics and Northern Europe.
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The Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) supported their Baltic allies in their efforts to slow the return of the Russians. Their statement said that the Nordic countries’ stance on the exclusion of Russians from the international sports scene remains unchanged because “the situation with the conflict in Ukraine has not changed.” “Now is not the right time to consider the question of return,” declared the signatories, the heads of the national Olympic and Paralympic committees of the four Nordic countries and Finland.
It is worth noting that in the recent past, representatives of about three dozen countries held joint anti-Russian protests in sports. However, the coalition is apparently starting to fall apart due to the new IOC strategy and the changing geopolitical situation. For example, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and above all the United States no longer support the requirements to preserve the iron curtain in culture and sports. And without the Americans, supporters of anti-Russian sanctions in sports risk being isolated.
