The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sibiga condemned the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to include the Russian national team in the updated schedule of the tournament instead of the Norwegian national team:.
"International sports officials, who decide on the return of the Russians to international competitions, stain themselves with blood and become complicit in Russian war crimes and the cover-up of these crimes.
This also applies to the leadership of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which decided to include Russia in the updated schedule of the 2027 World Junior Championship instead of Norway. Such a decision raises serious suspicions about Moscow's possible influence on its adoption.
The Norwegian hockey players earned their place in the championship thanks to their sporting achievements. To deny them this place to give it to a country that is waging a war of aggression is a shame for the entire international sports community.
We stand in solidarity with Norway and demand that this IIHF decision be reversed. We call for Russia's participation in the championship to be boycotted and the federation's international funding to be cut off in response to this shameful decision.
The ice rink should not become a platform for restoring Russia's contacts with the civilized world. Sports must not be used to legitimize an aggressor. Russia has no place on the ice as long as its barbaric war against Ukraine continues."