Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that countries opposing decisions to reinstate Russian athletes in international competitions were violating their rights and undermining democratic institutions.
Putin's remarks came as sports authorities in several countries vowed to refuse to compete against Russian teams following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest body in sports law, allowing Russia's national ice hockey teams to return to international competition.
Canada, Denmark and Sweden were among the countries opposing the move, citing Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and, in part, safety concerns stemming from ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Speaking by video link at a government meeting, Putin said decisions by CAS, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations to restore Russia's right to compete were "defending the Olympic Charter and its principles."
"But unfortunately, not all countries are prepared to honor the obligations they once made. And they continue to impose not legal, but politicized restrictions on Russian sports," Putin said in comments posted on the Kremlin's website.
"This is a clear and blatant violation of the law and court decisions and therefore of the very institutions of democracy."
Last week, CAS upheld appeals lodged by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against the International Ice Hockey Federation's decision to bar Russian teams from participating in events during the 2026-27 season.
Countries including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and the Czech Republic have said they will refuse to play against Russia.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia and Belarus, a close Moscow ally, would be barred from the World Junior Championship, which begins next month in Alberta, while the Finnish city of Turku threatened to withdraw as host of the 2028 World Junior Championship.
In his remarks to government officials, Putin said it was up to Russia's National Olympic Committee "definitely to continue working to protect the interests of Russian athletes."
CAS on Thursday acknowledged the divisive reaction to its ruling in favor of Russia's return to international ice hockey competition but reiterated that the decision was based solely on the evidence submitted.
The IOC and international sports bodies barred Russia from Olympic and international competitions after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In July, the IOC provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, and several sports federations have since allowed Russian athletes to compete.