Norway and Finland are blocking visas for Russian and Belarusian athletes, citing their ties to the authorities in Moscow

Norway and Finland announced on Thursday that they would deny visas and access to Russian and Belarusian athletes at competitions held in their territories, amid the war in Ukraine and the easing of some restrictions by international sports federations.

The Oslo government said that immigration services and police would prevent Russian and Belarusian professional athletes, as well as members of their teams, from entering if they intended to take part in competitions in Norway. The authorities said that Russian elite sport maintains close ties with the regime in Moscow and cannot be considered independent of the war.

The decision comes ahead of the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Trondheim, scheduled for December. Finland has adopted a similar measure as it prepares to host the 2027 World Figure Skating Championships in Tampere in March.

Helsinki has consistently opposed Russia's return to international competitions. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark have announced that they will not face Russia at the World Ice Hockey Championships in Germany. Sweden has also called on the European Union to tighten visa rules for Russian and Belarusian athletes. Jiova