Great Britain unites with major Olympic nations to DEMAND Russian athletes be banned from Olympics

Great Britain and other major Olympic nations have united to demand Russian athletes be banned from Paris 2024 during an emergency summit on Friday.

Culture secretary Lucy Frazer chaired the meeting of 36 nations which was called in the wake of the International Olympic Committee opening the door for Russians and Belarusians to compete at next year’s Games as neutrals despite the war of Ukraine.

Following the summit, it was claimed that ‘most voices’, including Olympic powerhouses Britain, USA, Canada, Germany and Australia, agreed on a ban of Russian athletes. 

However, Poland’s sports minister, Kamil Bortniczuk, added that hosts France, as well as Greece and Japan, were ‘the exception’.

A formal collective statement is set to follow Friday’s meeting, which was opened by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose country have threatened to boycott Paris if Russians participate.

Culture secretary Lucy Frazer chaired the meeting where Great Britain and other Olympic nations demanded Russia athletes should be banned 

36 nations met to declare that Russia and Belarus should not be represented at the Olympics 

Frazer tweeted: ‘It was a very productive meeting between 36 nations, and I made the UK’s position very clear: as long as Putin continues his barbaric war, Russia and Belarus must not be represented at the Olympics.’

Lithuanian sports minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene said: ‘We are going in the direction that we would not need a boycott because all countries are unanimous.’

It is understood a proposal was put forward at the meeting to allow Russian and Belarusian dissidents to be part of a team of refugees.