French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has signed the statement, which has expressed "strong concerns" over the feasibility of athletes from Russia and Belarus participating under a neutral banner, along with politicians from the likes of the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The 30 nations claim that there was a "substantial lack of clarity and concrete details on a workable 'neutrality' model" and urged the IOC to address their issues.

The collective statement comes as a result of an international Summit chaired by British Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer on February 10 that brought together more than 35 nations to discuss the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

The British Government has released the statement which raised "many questions and concerns" over the IOC's decision to consider readmitting Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals.

"Russia and Belarus sport and politics are closely intertwined," the statement read. 

"We have strong concerns on how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes to compete as ‘neutrals’ - under the IOC’s conditions of no identification with their country - when they are directly funded and supported by their states (unlike, for example, professional tennis players). 

"The strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern. 

"Our collective approach throughout has therefore never been one of discrimination simply on the basis of nationality, but these strong concerns need to be dealt with by the IOC.

"As long as these fundamental issues and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable ‘neutrality’ model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition. 

"Noting the IOC’s stated position that no final decisions have been made, we strongly urge the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly. 

"We also note that Russia and Belarus have it in their own hands to pave the way for their athletes’ full return to the international sports community, namely by ending the war they started."

Italian Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, Greece's Deputy Minister of Culture and Sport Lefteris Avgenakis and Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs for the United States have joined Oudéa-Castéra in signing the statement.

The British Government believes their signatures are "significant" with Italy and the US due to stage the Olympic Games in 2026 and 2028 respectively.

The other countries to sign the statement include Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been largely frozen out of international sport since the invasion of Ukraine last year, with the IOC recommending their exclusion from competitions.

The IOC announced last month that it would "explore a pathway" for athletes from the two countries to return after a series of consultation calls.

It insisted that this would be under "strict conditions" of neutrality with Russian and Belarusian national symbols remaining banned, and has expressed "solidarity" with Ukraine.

However, the move has sparked criticism in Ukraine, with the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing the IOC of losing its "honesty".

“We agree that Putin cannot use sport to legitimise his actions on the world stage," said Frazer. 

"This coalition of nations has supported Ukraine on multiple fronts and we will continue to do so. 

"Today we are setting out our serious concerns with the International Olympic Committee’s plans which could see a route back into elite athletics for Russia and Belarus. 

"Any plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in Paris are not credible. 

"With the prospect of tanks from the United Kingdom, United States and European partners arriving in Ukraine over the coming weeks, and President Zelenskyy expressing serious concerns that a spring offensive by Russia is imminent, we urge the IOC to reconsider its position."

Ukraine is considering a boycott of Paris 2024 in response to the IOC's shift while also trying to mobilise support from other nations.

IOC President Thomas Bach opposed this in a letter he wrote to Ukrainian Sports Minister and National Olympic Committee President Vadym Guttsait, stressing that a boycott of the Games would be a violation of the Olympic Charter.

A European Union resolution has also condemned the IOC’s stance, insisting that allowing competitors from the two countries to participate, as neutrals or not, "runs counter to those countries' multifaceted isolation and will be used by both regimes for propaganda purposes".

The resolution urges its 27 member nations to pressure the IOC into reversing its decision which has been labelled as "an embarrassment to the international world of sport."

The IOC has argued that it would be discriminatory to exclude Russia and Belarus, despite recommending International Federations ban the pair last February when the invasion first began.

insidethegames has contacted the IOC for a comment in response to the letter.