The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has issued a decree according to which Ukrainian athletes will now be able to compete in international competitions in which athletes from Russia and Belarus participate under neutral flags. RBC-Ukraine drew attention to the document.
In mid-April, the agency banned Ukrainian national teams from participating in competitions where Russians and Belarusians would be present. The restriction applied to Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic sports.
According to the new decree, athletes from Ukraine will be able to compete in any international competitions if their counterparts from Russia and Belarus take part under a neutral flag. The exceptions will be cases when Russians and Belarusians in competitions will use national flags, symbols or express belonging to one of the countries in a different way.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee recommended that sports federations and competition organizers not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in them. A week ago, the International Gymnastics Federation allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the status of «individual neutral athletes.»