Washington, March 1 (Agency) The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) advocated on Tuesday for a complete ban of Russia and Belarus’ participation in international sport amid Russian military operation in Ukraine. “The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Athlets’ Advisory Council (AAC) join the IOC and the global Olympic community in calling for a complete ban on international sport participation, effective immediately and inclusive of the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, for Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials.
As the world watches in horror while Russia brazenly attacks the innocent people and athletes of Ukraine, this is the only acceptable action to be taken until peace has been restored,” USOPC said in a written statement on Twitter. On Monday, the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) suspended Russian national and club teams from participating in all FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice. Last Thursday, Russia launched a military operation to “denazify” Ukraine, responding to calls from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk for help. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation was targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and that the civilian population was not in danger.