The Netherlands and more than thirty other countries are calling for Russia and Belarus to be excluded from the Olympic Games | Other sports

The countries have asked the International Olympic Committee for clarification on how the IOC believes that athletes from Russia and Belarus can participate in the Paris Games in 2024. Athletes from those two countries are currently barred from most international sporting events due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the support the Russian army received from Belarus.

The IOC said earlier that it was investigating the possibilities of how athletes from Russia and Belarus could participate in the Paris Games under a neutral flag. This in turn led to a furious reaction from Ukraine, which announced that it would probably boycott the Olympic Games in that case.

In the letter, the signatories point out the close ties and preferences between Russian athletes and the Russian army, according to the French news agency AFP. “We have serious concerns about how reasonable it is for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag if they are paid and supported directly by their governments,” they write. The IOC must address those concerns.

Sports Minister Conny Helder had already informed the House of Representatives on 10 February that, as far as the cabinet is concerned, athletes from Russia and Belarus should be banned from international sports tournaments such as the Olympic Games. In doing so, the cabinet also complied with the wishes of the House. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, had also spoken out against the arrival of a Russian delegation in her city in 2024.