A statement has been issued by the IOC criticising "negative reactions" of "some European Governments" and questioned why they had not commented on the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in other wars.

The IOC ruled in March that athletes from Russia and Belarus should be allowed to compete as neutrals, provided they do not support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with the military.

But the move is facing strong opposition from Ukraine and several other countries, with Estonia recently ruling that it was "unthinkable" for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on the global stage while the war continues.

"It is deplorable to see that some Governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic Movement or the autonomy of sport which they are requesting from other countries, and are praising in countless speeches and UN [United Nations] and European Union resolutions," the statement from the IOC read.

"It is deplorable that these Governments do not address the question of double standards with which we were confronted in the consultation calls.

"We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars, armed conflicts and crises in the world.

"It is even more deplorable that they grossly neglect the very clear statement of the two Special Rapporteurs from the UN Human Rights Council, while in other issues they are always highlighting their firm requests for the respect of human rights."

The IOC claimed that the "political interventions" had "strengthened the unity of the Olympic Movement".

"All stakeholders made it very clear again: it cannot be up to the Governments to decide which athlete can take part in which competitions," the IOC added.

"This would be the end of international sport as we know it.

"All the Olympic Movement stakeholders are very concerned about this.

"The IOC has received a letter signed by the Presidents of all five Continental Associations of NOCs, representing all 206 NOCs, welcoming the IOC recommendations in defence of the autonomy of sport which ensures that 'international sports competitions welcome athletes from all countries'."

The IOC also reiterated claims it had found "some middle ground" after saying that he had been accused by Russia of being "agents of the United States" and by Ukraine of siding with Moscow.

"The Russian side wants the IOC to ignore the war," the IOC said.

"The Ukrainian side wants the IOC to totally isolate anyone with a Russian and Belarusian passport.

"Both positions are diametrically opposed to the IOC’s mission and the Olympic Charter.

"The IOC navigates such an intractable situation through its values, which are its compass.

"This is why the IOC’s athlete-centred recommendations address its core values of peace, unity, solidarity and non-discrimination.

"It is not an easy solution.

"But extremely complex political problems do not have easy solutions.

"Only populists pretend to have simplistic solutions for the most complex problems in the world.

"The IOC’s position is clear.

"We condemned the war from the first day.

"We imposed unprecedented sanctions on the Russian and Belarusian Governments.

"As a global organisation, the IOC has to manage a complex reality.

"The world is not black or white.

"We are confronted with a cacophony of views and competing interests that are trying to pull us in different directions."

International Federations have been divided in their response to the IOC's recommendations with several, including athletics, opting to keep their bans in place on Russia and Belarus.

A decision on the participation of athletes from the two countries for next year’s Olympics in Paris has yet to be made by the IOC.

The IOC has welcomed a declaration recently made by the 120 members states of the Non-Aligned Movement which stated that the admittance of athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees (NOC) would be a "strong symbol of unity of humanity".

However, the IOC has announced that Russia and Belarus will not be one of the 203 NOCs that it will send invitations to Paris 2024 on July 26, insisting that it will make a decision on their participation "at the appropriate time".

The Guatemalan Olympic Committee is the other omission on the invitation list having been suspended by the IOC in October last year.

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has slammed the IOC’s decision not to send an invite to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) later this month.

"This is another discrimination, a violation of the principles of Olympism," said Matytsin in a report by Russia’s official state news agency TASS.

"There should be family principles and respect for them in the Olympic family.

"This is done without taking into account qualifying competitions, rules in the absence of rules.

"The decision was made without taking into account these qualifying competitions, and it is not clear when they will [invite]."

ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov also told TASS that it would be impossible to accept an invitation under the IOC’s current conditions of neutrality which he claimed were "illegitimate", "discriminatory" and "contrary to the spirit and letter of Russian and international legislation".

"At the same time, all the principles of fair sports selection for the Olympic Games have been completely violated, and this, I am convinced, is a deliberate approach, which indicates that the Olympic movement is sinking deeper into dependence on political influence," added Pozdnyakov.

"Today's news is a logical continuation of the IOC's current policy of neutralising our athletes.

"In fact, nothing new has been announced. 

"As there is no answer to the question - on what legal basis are not invited NOCs, which are not affected in their rights, are not suspended and are not subject to any restrictions."