President Vladimir Putin has previously said the event could be decided in September.

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin says Moscow is ready to host the Games, the set-up of which resembles an Olympics. It is currently unclear how big such an event could be and what sports might be included.

Moscow and Beijing have previously formed the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization" – a central security policy organization with eight countries to counter US influence. Now they also want to cooperate in sports.

Russia and Belarus remain barred from international competitions in many sports as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. In January, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Olympics next year in Paris.

SEE MORE: Why sport means so much to Vladimir Putin:

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Jakob Hedenskog, an analyst at the Center for Eastern European Studies, explains why sport is so important to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: SVT