International Olympic chief Thomas Bach has insisted the organisation is “doing more for peace” in seeking to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at next year’s Paris Games.

The role of the movement was “bringing people together”, he said as he rejected accusations it was on the wrong side of history, in rejecting demands for an outright ban on their participation, against the backdrop of the Ukraine war.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has faced a backlash from Kyiv and its allies over a move to enable athletes from the two countries to compete as so-called “neutrals”.

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Britain is among those pressing for a ban following Vladimir Putin’s invasion, which is approaching its first anniversary.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a UK-led summit on Friday that Russia’s presence at the Games “stains everything with blood – even the white flag” of the Olympics.

But dismissing suggestions the IOC was wrong, Bach said: “No, history will show who is doing more for peace.

“The ones who try to keep lines open, to communicate, or the ones who want to isolate or divide.

“We have shown this in the past with great success in the Olympic movement.

“Our role is bringing people together.”

Bach also expressed his support for “every Ukrainian athlete”.

He said: “We can from a human point of view understand their reactions, we share their suffering.

“Every Ukrainian athlete can be rest assured that we are standing in full solidarity with them and that all their comments are taken very, very seriously into consideration.”

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Bach was speaking at the Alpine skiing world championships in France – a sport which has barred Russians and Belarusians since the conflict started last February.

‘Russia is killing my people’

Ivan Kovbasnyuk, the only Ukrainian skier taking part, said: “Russia is killing my people. Not (a) good situation for the Olympic committee.”

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The IOC announced last month it was open to athletes from Russia and Belarus – which has been used as a staging post for the invasion of Ukraine – competing under a neutral flag in Paris, without any national trappings, if they have not actively supported the war.

Ban ‘discriminatory’

It argues it would be discriminatory to ban athletes based on their citizenship alone.

The organisation has also rejected comparisons with Apartheid-era South Africa being excluded from the Olympics for more than 20 years, pointing out UN sanctions were in place at the time.

While there are no UN sanctions currently in force against Russia and Belarus, this is because Moscow can veto any proposed resolution given its seat at the top table.

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Speaking on Friday, new Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, who chaired the meeting of 35 countries, said: “As long as Putin continues his war, Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to compete on the world stage or be represented at the Olympics.”

Boycott threat

The broad support for a ban raises the possibility of a large-scale boycott if athletes from Russia and Belarus are permitted to compete.

The office of Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, has appeared to back the IOC position and he has in the past has argued “sport should not be politicised”.

But Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has demanded no Russian or Belarusian athletes take part.

In the last three summer and winter Olympics between 2018 and 2022, Russian athletes have been prevented from competing with the national flag or anthem as punishment for the country’s state-sponsored doping scheme.

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