LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to deal with a gaggle of sports activities ministers assembly Friday to debate Russian participation at subsequent yr’s Olympics.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee is engaged on a plan to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes who haven’t actively supported the warfare to enter qualifying occasions for the 2024 Summer time Video games in Paris regardless of the continued invasion of Ukraine.

As Ukraine pushes for Russian athletes to be barred and threats of a boycott mount, officers from 30 nations deliberate the summit to debate the right way to reply.

Zelenskyy, who has beforehand stated any impartial flag for Russia could be “stained with blood,” is because of deal with the web summit by video hyperlink.

Zelenskyy made shock visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, pushing for fighter jets to battle Russian invaders in a dramatic speech to the U.Okay. Parliament.

British Tradition Secretary Lucy Frazer is chairing Friday’s assembly.

“We’re approaching a yr since this barbaric invasion started,” she stated in a press release Thursday. “We should urge the IOC to point out that the Olympic values imply one thing. We should clarify there are penalties to this unlawful invasion. We can not enable Russian athletes to line up alongside Staff GB (the British Olympic group) and everybody else on the world stage.”

Political leaders in Poland and the Baltic states have stated there might be Olympic boycotts if the IOC forges forward with its plan. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has stated Russian and Belarusian athletes needs to be barred from the Olympics in her metropolis if the warfare remains to be occurring by then.

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