The Ministry of Sport in Warsaw outlined Poland's stance in a statement on Monday.
It expressed "disappointment" with the IOC's decision last week to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paris Olympics as "individual neutral athletes."
The Polish sports ministry said that ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Poland had "maintained that, until the war is brought to an end, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to take part in international competition, including the Olympic Games, the world's foremost sports event."
The government noted that Poland was part of a coalition of countries that had released four statements "opposing the participation of Russia and Belarus in international sports events."
Poland said it was "difficult to accept" the IOC's decision to allow athletes from "aggressor countries that continue to wage a cruel war against Ukraine" to compete in "the world's main sports event."
The Polish Ministry of Sport added that it remained "in constant contact" with officials in Ukraine and other countries opposing the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, about a "collective response" to Friday's decision by the IOC.
The Olympics governing body announced on December 8 that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics as long as they have not supported the war in Ukraine, Britain's The Guardian newspaper reported.
This applies only to athletes who qualify in individual sports, and they will have to compete as “neutral” athletes, with no flags, emblems or anthems allowed, the IOC said.
Meanwhile, Russian and Belarusian teams will remain banned, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Ukraine and more than 30 Western countries, including Poland, Britain and the United States, had called for a complete ban, according to news outlets.
Monday is day 656 of Russia's war on Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, gov.pl, Olympics.com, The Guardian