Baltics, Poland call for ban on Russian, Belarusian athletes, Lithuania says

The three Baltic states and Poland, members of the European Union and NATO which border Russia and Belarus, have been strong supporters of Ukraine and among the first to send weapons following Moscow's invasion almost a year ago. Latvia joined Kyiv on Wednesday in threatening to boycott the 2024 Olympics and qualifiers if Russian and Belarusian athletes are included while the war continues in Ukraine.

The Baltic nations and Poland are calling on international sports bodies to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing in the Olympics and other events while the war in Ukraine continues, Lithuania said on Thursday.

"The ministers form Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland have agreed on a joint statement against the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes," Lithuania's Minister of Education, Science and Sport Jurgita Siugzdiniene told Reuters. The three Baltic states and Poland, members of the European Union and NATO which border Russia and Belarus, have been strong supporters of Ukraine and among the first to send weapons following Moscow's invasion almost a year ago.

Latvia joined Kyiv

on Wednesday in threatening to boycott the 2024 Olympics and qualifiers if Russian and Belarusian athletes are included while the war continues in Ukraine. Athletes from Russia and its neighbour Belarus, which aided Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, have been banned from many international competitions since.

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