Ukraine appeal IOC decision to reinstate Russia
Ukraine's National Olympic Committee has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the International Olympic Committee's decision to provisionally reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). The IOC suspended Russia in 2023 over the invasion of Ukraine but lifted the ban on 7 July 2026, saying the suspension was "no longer applicable" – a move that would allow Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and marks a further step in Russia's return to international sport.
Ukraine's NOC argues the decision is "premature" and breaches the Olympic Charter, saying the IOC failed to properly verify whether the original violations behind the 2023 suspension had been resolved. It noted CAS itself upheld the legality of that suspension in 2024, ruling that including sports bodies from occupied Ukrainian territory breached Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russian and Belarusian athletes have competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, while Russia remains banned by Fifa, and World Athletics rejected an IOC recommendation in May to lift Belarus's ban.
- Ukraine appeals to CAS over IOC's reinstatement of Russia's Olympic committee
- IOC lifted Russia's 2023 suspension on 7 July 2026, enabling LA 2028 return
- Ukraine says decision breaches Olympic Charter and ignores unresolved violations
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The International Olympic Committee suspended Russia from competing in the Olympics in 2023, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This prevented Russian athletes from representing their country at international Olympic events. The suspension was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2024, which ruled that Russia's inclusion of sports bodies from occupied Ukrainian territory breached Ukraine's territorial integrity.
In July 2026, the IOC lifted this suspension, declaring it "no longer applicable". This will allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag again, including at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Russian and Belarusian athletes have competed as neutral athletes at recent Olympic events whilst the suspension was in place.
The suspension specifically addressed Russia's inclusion of sports organisations from occupied Ukrainian territory. Although the IOC has now lifted its ban, other international sports organisations have not. Football's world governing body, Fifa, continues to ban Russia, and World Athletics rejected an IOC recommendation to lift its ban on Belarus.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The IOC could argue that sporting sanctions should be reviewed as circumstances and compliance change, rather than treated as indefinite. Reinstating the Russian Olympic Committee may recognise a distinction between the conduct of state sports bodies and individual athletes, while bringing international sport back under consistent rules if the original grounds for suspension no longer apply.
The case against
Ukraine’s NOC could argue that reinstatement is premature unless the IOC verifies that the violations behind the suspension have been remedied. CAS upheld the suspension’s legality in 2024 over breaches of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, so lifting it without demonstrating compliance may undermine the Olympic Charter and the credibility of sports governance.