Vladimir Klitschko: Ukrainian athletes should not boycott competitions with Russians

Ukrainian boxer Vladimir Klitschko has spoken out against banning Ukrainian athletes from competing in events where athletes from Russia and Belarus participate.

His words were published on Telegram by Ukrainian parliament member Oleksiy Honcharenko.

“If I were the minister of sport, I would not ban our athletes from competing in events where Russian or Belarusian athletes are present. Boycotting, in my view, is not the right thing to do. This needs to be fought differently,” Klitschko said.

The boxer’s position diverges from Kyiv’s previous official stance. Ukraine has repeatedly banned its athletes from competing alongside Russians and Belarusians, but subsequently lifted its own bans. At the same time, the Ukrainian side has pushed for the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions.

The Russian side has repeatedly spoken out against the politicization of sport and the discrimination of athletes on any grounds.