Ukraine has hit out after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) moved to ease restrictions on Russian athletes ahead of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The IOC said on Tuesday that it had "provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee," meaning Russian athletes could be able to compete for their country in the US.
In a statement, Ukraine's National Olympic Committee said it "strongly disagrees" with the decision, calling it "premature" and "unjustified" while Russia continues its full-scale invasion of the country, which Moscow launched in February 2022.
"Any decision that effectively paves the way for Russia's full return to the international Olympic Movement contradicts not only the principles of justice but also the fundamental values of Olympism, which are founded on respect for human dignity, peace, and international law," the statement reads.
Russia's Olympic Committee had been suspended in 2023 amid the invasion. But the IOC said that following a "thorough analysis," it had determined that ban was "no longer applicable".
