The statement of the organization states that athletes from Russia and Belarus "are not soldiers or part of the government" and therefore have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

However, every athlete who speaks out in support of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine or takes part in it will be immediately suspended, the document notes.

The decision to restore the Russian and Belarusian boxers was made after a long discussion at the meeting of the association in Orlando on December 11.

On December 13, Russian Dmitry Bival was recognized as the best boxer of the year in the WBA version.

After the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, the World Boxing Association, as well as the International Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) refused to recognize and approve tournaments and fights in Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) banned athletes from Russia from participating in international tournaments under its auspices.

At the same time, the WBA stated that Russian and Belarusian fighters will be excluded from the rating lists, however, the current champions of the world or individual regions will retain their status.

Russia launched a full-scale aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

In response to this, the majority of international sports federations curtailed their activities in Russia.

They imposed a ban on the participation of athletes from Russia, and sometimes also from Belarus, in competitions under their auspices.

On December 9, the International Olympic Committee at the summit in Liazan left in force the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus after the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The declaration of the IOC states that the authorities of Russia and Belarus violated the Olympic Charter by their actions in Ukraine, therefore these countries should not be represented at international competitions.