Ukraine will continue its pressure on the International Olympic Committee so that Russian athletes are not allowed to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris , more than a year after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Sports Minister announced to Agence France-Presse .

"We must keep up the pressure. Perhaps the International Olympic Committee will understand that as long as there is war in Ukraine, the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be appropriate," Minister Vadym Gotzeit said Tuesday in an interview with AFP.

A ban was imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sports competitions, in connection with the military campaign launched by Moscow in February 2022.

As the war dragged on, the International Olympic Committee this year opened the door for individual athletes to return, under a neutral flag and as long as they did not "actively" support the invasion or were not affiliated with the Russian army.

But the International Olympic Committee postponed its decision to participate in the Paris Olympics for a later time.

A decision that angered the Ukrainian authorities, who accused the International Olympic Committee of promoting war. Many Western countries condemned this step, and Kiev is counting on it to maintain the Russian-Belarusian ban.

"We hope that the big and powerful federations will stand in solidarity with Ukraine... and not allow them to participate in international competitions," said Gotzeit, who has been chairing the Ukrainian Olympic Committee for a year.

He continued, "Our cause must be defended. We have not lost yet."

The minister was surprised by the softening of the Olympic Committee's stance towards the Russian and Belarusian athletes. "Nothing has changed, it has only gotten worse! How many cities have been destroyed, how many people have been killed - women, children!"

At the present time, Ukrainian athletes are “preparing” and “training”, but in the event of the reintegration of Russian and Belarusian athletes, Ukraine may boycott the Paris Olympics. "We are not talking about boycott now."

"It's difficult. The Olympic Games are the most important moment for every athlete," said the former Olympic champion in fencing in 1992. "But the most important thing for us now is to win the war.. Even if we don't participate, it's just a competition."

According to the minister, at least 273 Ukrainian athletes have died since the beginning of the Russian invasion and at least 343 sports venues have been destroyed across the country.