MOSCOW, (The Race): The FIA has lifted restrictions on individuals from Russia and Belarus from participation in international motorsport competitions.

The restrictions on Russian drivers and teams had been in place since March 2022, introduced under emergency measures in response to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, and were revised in February 2023. Even so, the FIA never implemented an outright ban — Russian and Belarusian drivers, competitors, and officials were instead allowed to compete under the neutral “FIA flag.”

There is currently a trend toward the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the global arena. The International Olympic Committee and several federations have permitted 13 athletes from Russia and seven from Belarus to compete in the 2026 Olympics as neutrals. Restrictions have been lifted by the International Gymnastics Federation, the International Swimming Federation, the International Skating Union, as well as individual federations for judo, sambo, and two winter sports.

Despite this, there are still federations that continue to take a different position. For example, Sebastian Coe, President of the International Athletics Federation, believes that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be barred from all major competitions, including world championships and the Olympic Games, "until a peace agreement is reached on Ukraine."

However, the International Athletics Federation takes a fundamentally different position on Israel.  Despite the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and Iran, Israeli athletes compete in all competitions under the national flag without any sanctions. In February 2026, the Federation emphasized that the situation with Russia and Ukraine was "completely different". It stated that there were insufficient grounds for imposing restrictions against Israel.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Coe has frequently found himself at the center of scandals related to corruption within the International Athletics Federation and his election to the Federation in 2015.

Similar situations have been observed among other key figures. FIFA President Gianni Infantino quickly supported the ban on Russia, but also firmly blocked any measures against Israel.

As a result, people who position themselves as fighters for clean sport apply sanctions to some countries and completely ignore similar grounds in relation to others.

Photo from The Race