IOC urges sports bodies to cancel events in Russia, Belarus after Ukraine invasion

The International Olympic Committee has become yet another massive sports organization to lash out at the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Per Graham Dunbar of The Associated Press, the IOC is urging sports governing bodies to relocate or cancel events scheduled to occur in Russia and Belarus and to also stop using the flags and national anthems for those countries. 

Videos have shown Russian forces and military hardware entering Ukraine from its border with Belarus.

The IOC deems Russia and Belarus to be in breach of the so-called "Olympic Truce," which states that participating countries are "to allow safe participation" in the Games "for all athletes and spectators" and to protect "the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and to harness the power of sport to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly."  

This year's "Olympic Truce began seven days before the start of the Olympic Games, on 4 February 2022, and ends seven days after the closing of the Paralympic Games" on March 13. 

UEFA has already relocated the Champions League final originally set to occur in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on May 28 to Paris, and Formula 1 has canceled this season's Russian Grand Prix scheduled for Sept. 25 in Sochi. European football's governing body also announced that Russian and Ukrainian national teams and clubs participating in UEFA competitions will play home matches at neutral venues until further notice.

Russia is scheduled to host Poland in a World Cup playoff match on March 24, but it's believed FIFA could move that game or even expel Russia from the fall World Cup, entirely.