Ukraine calls allowing return of Russian ice hockey teams to world championships ‘unacceptable’

Ukraine's foreign minister on Sunday called the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow Russian ice hockey teams to return to the world championships "unacceptable."

"By letting Russian hockey back, CAS is staining the ice with Ukrainian blood," Andrii Sybiha wrote on US social media platform X.

Sybiha stressed that Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continue and argued that the return of Russian teams would give Moscow the international legitimacy it seeks.

"Russia has not stopped its war. It has not stopped killing Ukrainians. It has not stopped its relentless attacks on our cities. So what exactly has changed to justify the return of its national ice hockey teams to international competition?" he said.

Sybiha urged the international sporting community and Ukraine's partners to oppose Russia's return to international competitions, saying there can be "no business as usual" as long as the war continues.

He also called on governments to deny Russian players entry to their territories, adding that Russia's actions must have consequences, including in international sport.

"This shameful decision must be reversed," he said.

On Friday, the CAS overturned a ban on Russian teams, ruling that the arguments put forth by the sport's global governing body to justify their suspension, including "safety, security and other concerns," are "not supported by sufficient evidence."

The decision followed an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which barred Russian teams from competitions following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

In July, the IIHF extended the restrictions through the 2026-27 season, citing concerns about the safety of competition participants.

The IIHF maintained that its restrictions were necessary to protect participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions.

"While the IIHF respects the authority of CAS and will act in accordance with its ruling, the outcome does not remove the concerns that informed its assessments," the federation said.