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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Tuesday that it’s lifting its three-year suspension of Russia, paving the way for Russian athletes to compete in future Olympic Games despite the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The group said in a press release that the decision was made after a “thorough analysis” by its legal arm concluded that the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) no longer includes member groups from territories under the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine’s jurisdiction.

The decision over whether or not to allow the display of the Russian flag and colors or the playing of its anthem will be made at a later date, the IOC said in its release. The committee will continue its ban on organizing events in Russia or inviting Russian officials to events.

This would clear the way for Russian athletes, some of whom have been competing as “Individual Neutral Athletes” amid the ban, to participate in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. The decisionmaking body also said that it would take steps to ensure that Russian athletes are subject to anti-doping rules, with Russia having been suspended in 2017 due to a doping scandal.

The IOC originally banned ROC from competition in 2023, citing a violation of the Olympic Charter over its invasion of Ukraine.

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Indeed, the decision on Tuesday comes as Russia has continued its near-daily bombing of Ukraine, including civilian centers like its capital Kyiv. Russian forces unleashed a wave of strikes just this weekend, prior to the Turkey NATO summit, that killed at least 21 people. The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently estimated that more........

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