IOC Russian ban

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has renewed its neutral athlete policy for the upcoming winter season, allowing Russian and Belarusian skiers and snowboarders to compete without any national symbols, according to a September 2 statement by the FIS.

The International Olympic Committee's decision to temporarily reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee has drawn sharp criticism within the European Union, with some officials calling for the bloc to cut funding to the organization, Politico reported on July 9.

No Russian team has taken part in international football competitions since FIFA and UEFA suspended Russia’s national teams and clubs after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia’s hybrid war against Western democracies extends far beyond the battlefield. It infiltrates institutions, hijacks norms, and bends international rules to its will—from abusing its UN Security Council veto to shield acts of aggression, to exploiting every global organization within reach. Long before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin-linked influence had already seeped into the fabric of humanitarian, cultural, and media institutions. From the Red Cross and Interpol to parts of the UN system, Russian money—often toxic and politically motivated—took advantage of the democratic world’s openness to undermine it from within.