# Norway and Finland bar Russian and Belarusian athletes amid Ukraine war

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/norway-follows-finland-in-barring-russian-athletes-from-entering-country-over-ukraine-war/
- Published: 2026-11-12T21:00:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T21:29:38+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/nov/12/finland-bars-russian-athletes-ukraine
- Topics: Europe, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Norway and Finland will bar Russian athletes from competing in their countries.
- Finland’s rules also cover athletes with neutral status.
- The measures could affect major winter sports events.

## Summary

Norway and Finland have announced that Russian and Belarusian professional athletes and their support staff will be barred from entering their countries to compete while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. The decisions tighten existing visa rules and could prevent athletes from taking part even when international sports federations have cleared them to compete as neutrals.

Norway’s new rules are due to take effect shortly and may affect the cross-country skiing World Cup in Trondheim in December. Finland’s restrictions begin on Monday and cover Russians competing for national teams or under neutral status. They could affect upcoming winter sports events, including the figure skating world championships in Tampere next March; the International Skating Union is seeking clarification from Finnish officials.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.