Sweden wants to block Russian athletes from competing in country: minister to AFP

The Swedish government has expressed its desire to prevent Russian athletes from competing in the country, following similar decisions by neighboring Finland and Norway, according to The Local Sweden. Estonia, Canada, Norway, and Finland have all moved to restrict Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing on their territories due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Punch and Punch Nigeria.

The Estonian government has written to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to express concerns that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions hosted by the country would provide an opportunity for Russian propaganda and undermine support for Ukraine, according to Punch and Punch Nigeria.

This follows a September decision by the FIS to allow athletes from these nations to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes if they sign a declaration of neutrality and refrain from displaying national symbols.

Finland's Foreign Ministry ruled on 12 November that non-essential entry by Russian citizens, including professional sports via short-term visas, threatens the country's international relations, according to Euromaidan Press. These rules, which also cover athletes under neutral status, were set to be applied by visa and border authorities starting 16 November.

Separately, Norway’s Justice Ministry will instruct authorities to turn away Russian and Belarusian professional athletes and support staff for the duration of the war in Ukraine, according to Euromaidan Press.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local Sweden, Punch Nigeria, Punch, Euromaidan Press, Daily Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.