The Olympics cannot be divisive and exclude athletes, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says, defending its plan to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

In a statement to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year, the IOC said the Games had a unifying character that promoted peace.

The Olympic body is facing a mounting backlash after setting out a path last month for athletes of both Russia and Belarus to earn slots for the Olympics through Asian qualifying and to compete as neutrals, with no flags or anthems.

Athletes from those countries were banned from many international competitions after Russia launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, but some international federations are now allowing them back following the IOC guidance.

“The Olympic Games cannot prevent wars and conflicts. Nor can they address all the political and social challenges in our world,” the IOC said in its statement.

“This is the realm of politics. But the Olympic Games can set an example for a world where everyone respects the same rules and one another.”

“They can open the door to dialogue and peace-building in ways that exclusion and division do not.”

Ukraine and its Eastern European and Baltic neighbours are leading the call for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from Paris as long as Russia’s troops maintain their invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus helped facilitate.