Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision allowing Russian national ice hockey teams to return to international competition to be reversed. He also urged governments to deny Russian players entry to their territory.
The foreign minister made the appeal in a post on X.
“By letting Russian hockey back, CAS is staining the ice with Ukrainian blood,” Sybiha said.
The minister stressed that Russia had not stopped its war, killing Ukrainians or attacking cities. He questioned what grounds justified the return of its national teams to international tournaments.
Sybiha said Russian teams represent a state that continues to wage aggression, and their readmission would give Moscow the international legitimacy it seeks.
He urged the international sporting community and Ukraine’s partners to take a firm stand against Russia’s return to competition.
“This shameful decision must be reversed. I also call on governments that have not lost their moral compass to deny Russian players entry to their territory,” he wrote.
Sybiha added that Russia’s war must have consequences, including in international sport.
As previously reported by Ukraine Top News, CAS upheld an appeal by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation on October 30 and overturned the IIHF’s decision to exclude Russian teams. The ruling covers tournaments in the 2026/27 season, including the men’s and women’s world championships.
The court found that the IIHF had not provided sufficient evidence of security threats to justify the ban. CAS did not address participation under a neutral flag.
The IIHF expressed disappointment with the ruling and stressed that its security concerns remained valid. The Ukrainian Ice Hockey Federation and the hockey federations of Germany, Czechia, Sweden, Finland and Austria also opposed the return of Russian teams.
