Following Finland and Norway, Sweden intends to prevent Russian athletes from participating in competitions on its territory. the world
"We do not want to see Russian athletes on Swedish soil during international competitions, because this is a way for Russia and Putin to use the situation for propaganda purposes and contributes to the normalization of the war," Sports Minister Jacob Forsmed told the French news agency.
The government "in the near future" intends to present a resolution that "will ban Russian athletes from entering Sweden", the minister added.
This measure should take effect before the start of the World Ski Championships, he noted. The competition will take place in Fallon, Sweden in February.
In the past, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions subject to certain conditions, such as a ban on displaying national symbols and signing a statement of neutrality.
This week, Finland and Norway also announced measures to prevent Russian athletes from competing on their soil.