Last month, the IOC opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag as early as the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A plan that has received criticism from the EU Parliament.

Now over 30 governments, including other heavy Olympic nations such as the USA, Great Britain, France, Canada and Germany, have gathered their critical voices in a letter to the IOC, where they mainly want answers to one thing:

A clearer definition of neutrality.

Meeting in London

"As long as these fundamental issues, the lack of clarity and concrete details of a functioning 'neutrality model' are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back," they write in the letter, according to the AP news agency.

The letter was the result of a meeting in London on February 10, and was based on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's opinion that Russian athletes should not participate in the Paris Olympics next summer.

"We have strong concerns about the feasibility of Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes competing as 'neutrals' when they are funded and supported by their states," the letter reads.

"The links between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern."

Ported in many sports

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from most sports since the Russian invasion of Ukraine just under a year ago.

In the letter, which is about a clearer definition of neutrality from the IOC, the governments also write that the fastest way to get Russia back into sports is by ending the war they started.