Canada: Prime Minister Carney Confirms Russian and Belarusian Athletes Will Not Compete Under Their Flags in Canada, With Russians Out of the World Juniors
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on November 3 that Russian and Belarusian athletes would not be allowed to compete under their national flags or symbols at sporting events hosted in Canada. The announcement followed a joint statement from Canada's foreign affairs, immigration and sport ministers: the government confirmed it would use its immigration powers to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete under their national symbols. Asked whether Russian players would be denied visas, Carney replied: "There will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada." On the World Junior Championship specifically, he said: "So if you're asking specifically about the world juniors, the Russians will not be there."
Canada also clarified that the measure is not directed at the Russian and Belarusian people as a whole. Its official statement said the measure is intended to prevent the governments of Russia and Belarus from using international sporting events hosted in Canada as platforms for state representation, political legitimacy and propaganda, and confirmed that athletes competing in a neutral capacity would still be allowed to take part in international sporting events hosted by Canada.
The decision directly affects the 2026-27 IIHF World Junior Championship, to be held in Alberta from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Russia's favour on October 30, and Russian teams were set to make their comeback at the tournament; following the CAS ruling, six European nations expressed their opposition to playing Russia.
Source: 加拿大政府
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：加拿大与俄罗斯青年冰球队比赛（资料图，2020年冬季青年奥运会），Christophe95 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0 授权 / Photo: Canada and Russia in a youth ice hockey game at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics (file photo), by Christophe95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
United Kingdom: Environment Secretary Forms Waste Crime Crackdown Group as Police, Regulators and Local Leaders Target Illegal Dumping Gangs, With 36 Arrests This Year2026-11-04
European Union: Commission Publishes 2026 Enlargement Package With Accession Roadmaps for Ukraine and Three Other Frontrunners, Urging Kyiv to Step Up Rule-of-Law Reforms2026-11-04