Czech authorities do not plan to issue visas to Russian players seeking to compete at the women’s under-18 ice hockey world championship in Ostrava. Radio Liberty reported the government’s position on Tuesday, November 3, citing statements from senior Czech officials.

Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision allowing Russian hockey teams back into international competition did not compel the country to admit them. He pointed to an existing government measure barring short-stay visas for Russian citizens.

Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the exclusion policy should remain in place until the war against Ukraine ends. President Petr Pavel likewise called for Russia’s maximum isolation to continue, arguing that Moscow must recognize diplomacy as the only route toward ending the conflict.

The arbitration court last week ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to accept Russian national teams for the 2026/27 season. The federation said it disagreed with the judgment but would comply. Officials in Canada and Finland also criticized the ruling, while the Latvian and Norwegian federations said their teams would refuse to take the ice against Russia even if that resulted in a loss.