Alexandra Xanthaki, the UN special rapporteur for cultural rights, angered Ukrainian athletes on an IOC‑hosted call by saying that only Russians implicated directly in crimes against humanity or propaganda for war should be barred from international sport.

"I don't think that it makes sense to exclude all Russian soldiers and all Russian military," Xanthaki told athlete representatives from most of the 206 National Olympic Committees.

"It is discriminatory because there were a lot of other athletes [from other countries]…in active military operations and they were never excluded.

"However, every athlete has to be excluded if they are found guilty of atrocity, of serious human rights violations in times of war, including crimes against humanity and genocide. 

"And also they can be excluded if they are found guilty of propaganda for war but on an individual basis."

The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was on the call, said: "Her comments sounded pretty insane.

"And it was clear from the questions she received that many others were shocked that she was advocating a way for Russians to compete despite their illegal war."

Heraskevych, who held up a sign saying "No war in Ukraine" at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics last year before the invasion of his country, said Xanthaki's knowledge of sport also appeared limited.

"At one point when asked about propaganda, she said that Russian people who worship the Olympics will be disappointed to see their athletes under a neutral flag, and they will start to question themselves," he said.

"But we all know that in the last three Olympics, that is what has happened."

Xanthaki, a Greek who is Professor of Law at Brunel University in London, has defended her support of the IOC following criticism on social media.

"Soooooo, the US waged an illegal war in 2003," she wrote on Twitter.

"I don’t remember people trying to ban Michael Phelps from swimming."

Ukrainian Government and sports officials want the IOC to ban all Russians from Paris 2024, and claim most of the country's recent Olympic medallists were affiliated with the military.

The IOC has shifted from its original policy recommending Russian and Belarusian athletes should be excluded from competition, and said it wants to "explore" means by which they can return to compete as neutrals.

The issue will be a key topic discussed at the latest IOC Executive Board meeting, which starts today.