Paris Mayor Says Russian, Belarusian Athletes 'Not Welcome' at Olympics

"I want to tell Russian and Belarusian athletes that they are not welcome in Paris and to tell Ukrainian athletes and all the Ukrainian people that we support them very strongly," Hidalgo said in a video posted by Ukrainian YouTube channel, United News.

Hidalgo made her comments on a trip to Kyiv where she visited a training center for Ukrainian athletes.

Russian athletes can compete in the Paris Olympics, which run from July 26 until August 11 but only as neutrals, AFP reported.

Russia and Belarus have been banned from taking part in the opening ceremony which will be staged on the River Seine in the heart of the city.

In response, Moscow launched a furious tirade at the International Olympic Committee, arguing the IOC's restrictions on Russian athletes amounted to "neo-Nazism".

The IOC suspended Russia from the 2024 Games last year, but gave the green light for its athletes to compete as neutrals as long as they did not actively support the Kremlin's assault on Ukraine.