The Russian presidential office says the International Olympic Committee's guidelines for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions as neutrals are discriminatory and "unacceptable."

The IOC announced on Tuesday that it made recommendations to international sports federations in order for athletes of the two countries to compete as neutral individuals. According to the guidelines, they must not have actively supported the war in Ukraine, not have been contracted to the military or national security agencies and teams of athletes cannot be considered.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the IOC's recommendations contained "elements of discrimination."

He said that Russia would continue "to defend the interests of our athletes in every way we can."

The Ukrainian Youth and Sports Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it notes the IOC's move has "taken into account the position of Ukraine and its sympathizers on the non-admission of war supporters." The ministry stressed that it will continue to work to prevent representatives of the two countries from participating in international sports competitions.

More than 30 countries, including Japan and the United States, have signed a joint statement opposing the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. They called for concrete details to be provided about the neutral status of the athletes.