On Wednesday, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, stated that "the Russian flag cannot be at the Paris Olympic Games... at a time when Russia is committing war crimes."
When asked about the possibility of Russian athletes competing as neutrals in Paris, Macron said, "I hope this is a decision of conscience in the Olympic world." It is not up to the host country to decide what the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should do."
"I have complete faith in Thomas Bach (IOC president)," he told sports daily L'Equipe.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, athletes from Russia and Belarus have faced restrictions from various sports.
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Despite the current conflict, the IOC has advised that athletes from Russia and Moscow ally Belarus compete in international competitions as individual neutrals.
Those who are allowed to reintegrate into world sport must meet specific criteria.
These include participating under a neutral flag and demonstrating that they have not actively backed Ukraine's conflict.
"Obviously, the Russian flag cannot be present at the Paris Games, I believe there is agreement," Macron said in an interview with L'Equipe.
"Russia as a country has no place at a time when it has committed war crimes and deported children."
"The real question that the Olympic world will have to answer is where to place these Russian athletes, who have sometimes trained for a lifetime and can also be victims of this regime."
Conversely, Macron worried about distinguishing between Russian athletes who are accomplices and those who are victims of the regime.
"This is the real question," he continued.
He stated that the IOC must make a fair and understandable judgment to Ukrainians.
"This is the balancing act we will have to perform."
