Ukraine appeals to FIA to reverse inclusion of Russian and Belarusian drivers
The Ukrainian government has formally asked motorsport’s governing body to overturn its recent decision to lift a ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) ended the prohibition on individuals from those nations last week, reversing a strict policy held since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“The minister sent a letter to the president of the FIA and the FIA World Motor Sport Council requesting that the decision concerning the aforementioned lifting of sanctions be reconsidered,” a statement from the Ukrainian automobile federation read.
Surprise and dismay in Kyiv
Multiple sources have indicated that the controversial move to ease restrictions was driven directly by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
According to domestic sporting officials, the sudden policy shift came as a complete surprise to the war-torn country.
They warned that aligning with recent International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines could severely compromise the integrity of global racing competitions.
“As a result of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation with the assistance of the Republic of Belarus, Ukrainian motorsport has suffered significant losses,” the federation added.
“A large number of our motorsport competitors have been killed during this war, and such circumstances simply cannot be disregarded when considering decisions of this nature.”
Sanctions and international reactions
Despite lifting the individual competitor ban, the global motorsport authority insists it will not organise any official events within the borders of the two aggressor states.
Officials stated they are continuing to monitor the ongoing conflict closely and reserve the right to update their regulatory position in the future.
Meanwhile, the head of the Russian automobile federation, Boris Romanovich Rotenberg, remains heavily sanctioned by both the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Behind this decision is the huge diplomatic work of the RAF. We have always maintained a professional dialogue with our colleagues from the FIA, firmly defending the interests of our country,” Rotenberg said.
“Sport and culture should be outside of politics – they unite peoples. Justice has triumphed.”