The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has decided to suspend the participation of all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs in its competitions for an indefinite period due to the Ukraine events, the IIHF press service said in a statement.

The IIHF strongly condemns the use of military force and urges the use of diplomatic means to solve conflict, the statement said. The IIHF Council had an extraordinary meeting on Monday, February 28.

The Council decided on the suspension of all Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs from participation in every age category and in all IIHF competitions or events until further notice.

Russia's hosting rights to the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Novosibirsk and Omsk were withdrawn.

"These two actions have been initiated by the Council in order to enable the IIHF to ensure the safety of IIHF Championships and all participating players, officials, and fans," the statement said.