MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is trying to have it both ways with its statement about political neutrality in sports, Yelena Vyalbe, the president of the Cross Country Ski Federation of Russia (CCSFR), said on Tuesday.

IOC President Thomas Bach said earlier in the year that the global Olympic body "must be politically neutral, but not apolitical."

"What does this mean? Not apolitical, but politically neutral. It should be either political or beyond politics," Vyalbe said speaking on the sidelines of the "Russia" exhibition and forum in Moscow.

"Everybody wants to have it both ways, to say something that no one understands and to come up with a new document," she continued. "They have already introduced 25 amendments to the IOC Charter. Does this make sense?"

Earlier this month, the IOC warned that it would resort to prompt measures regarding athletes and sports officials who potentially come out against representatives of Israel.

IOC sanctions against Russia

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.