Eight countries have refused to play against Russia's national teams

Eight European countries have announced that they will refuse to play matches against Russian national teams. In addition, Canada will not allow the Russian team to participate in the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship.

“Eight countries—the Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, France, Austria, Norway, and Latvia—have already announced that they will not play matches against Russian national teams. Canada, which will host the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship, has stated that it will not allow the Russian national team to participate in the tournament,” the statement reads.

According to Matviy Bidny, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine will continue to work with international partners to secure support for this position.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and national sports federations are involved in this effort.

The minister emphasized that Ukraine’s position is based on the principles of justice, international law, and shared values.

This was announced by Matviy Bidny, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.

We previously reported that the national teams of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, and the Czech Republic will not play against Russia at the 2027 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship in Germany. The national federations explained their decision by citing concerns for the safety of athletes and coaches, as well as geopolitical tensions.

The Finnish national hockey team will not play against the Russian Federation—an aggressor state—as long as its aggressive war against Ukraine continues. This was stated by Heikki Hietanen, president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association.