Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Ukraine Volodymyr Borodiansky believes that in order to effectively fight for medals in the world, Ukrainian athletes are forced to compete, including on the territory of the aggressor state.

"We need to distinguish between athletes taking part in competitions abroad, including the Russian Federation, and the performances of artists," Borodiansky said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

According to the minister, the athletes have no choice to participate or not participate in a competition. "They have a choice whether to receive points or not. If an athlete does not compete abroad, he automatically loses points. This limits the athlete's ability to fight for medals," he added.

The minister emphasized that this is not only the matter of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, but an international issue relating to all cases connected with conflicts between states.

"In order to effectively fight for medals in the world, we must act on the territory of the aggressor state," Borodiansky emphasized.

As reported, on February 5, the coaching staff of the Ukrainian team decided to send several athletes to rhythmic gymnastics competitions, which are taking place in Russia.