FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova listens during the annual news conference of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) in Moscow, Russia January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
(Reuters) - Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport because of what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine was "doomed to fail."
Since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February last year, some sports bodies have suspended Russian teams or athletes to protest against Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Kyiv said earlier on Friday that Ukraine did not rule out boycotting the Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete in the Paris 2024 Games.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
