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Nemchinov, secretary of Ukraine's cabinet
ministers, said the government's decision was adopted following
a proposal by sports minister Vadym Huttsait and that national
federations ignoring the ruling could be sanctioned. Huttsait is
also president of Ukraine's Olympic committee.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations
Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for
Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals.
Athletes from the two countries have been banned from most elite
international sporting competitions since last March in the wake
of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special
military operation".
"At a meeting of the government, a protocol decision was made on
the proposal of colleague Huttsait that we take part in
qualifying competitions only where there are no Russians,"
Nemchinov was quoted as saying by Suspilne, Ukraine's public
broadcaster, on Thursday.
"Accordingly, participation outside these criteria may be
grounds for depriving federations of their national status."
The IOC is to make a separate decision on the participation of
Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris at a later date.
Ukraine has also threatened to boycott the 2024 Games should
they be allowed to compete there.
Ukraine's sports ministry condemned the IOC's latest guidelines
on Wednesday, while the head of Russia's Olympic committee has
said the IOC's criteria was "unacceptable".
"I want to tell our fellow athletes who are worried that due to
the IOC measures and the admission of Russians or Belarusians to
competitions, and accordingly Ukrainians will not be able to
participate, that their careers will be broken," Nemchinov said.
"But your life and that of your children will remain."
The IOC is reluctant to exclude Russians and Belarusians from
Paris for fear of a return to the boycotts of the Cold War era
and set out a pathway in January for them to earn Olympic slots
through Asian qualifying to compete as neutral athletes.
Some federations have readmitted Russians and Belarusians in
competitions but there is also considerable opposition to the
IOC's plans from athletes and some European governments.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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