Three World Cup events have now been axed due to the FIE's stance - to leave the sport in a state of crisis and Paris 2024 qualification up in the air.

Poznań was due to play host between April 21 and 23 at Adam Mickiewicz University.

It was scheduled as the first World Cup where Russia and Belarus would be allowed back following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after an FIE Extraordinary Congress decision on March 10.

The Polish Fencing Federation (PZS) said changes to the rules meant it would not be able to verify the Russians and Belarusians competing.

"The association informs that due to the change by the Board of the International Fencing Federation of the rules of qualifying for the World Cup in women's foil in Poznań for competitors and support staff holding Russian and Belarusian passports, the PZS Board is forced to cancel these competitions," a PZS statement said.

"The changes introduced by the FIE on 4 April 2023 deprived the organisers of the World Cup - PZS and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań - of any influence on the process of acceptance of registered players and support staff and, moreover, the method of checking the links between such persons and aggression in Ukraine, introduced by the FIE, different from the one previously proposed by the PZS, and based on unspecified premises, does not guarantee proper verification of these persons. 

"The procedure introduced by the FIE on 4 April 2023 means that Ukrainian fencers will not participate in the competitions qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and on the other hand, there is a risk that competitors with Russian and Belarusian passports will be admitted in a low-controlled manner in large numbers. 

"The Polish Fencing Federation supports the Ukrainian Fencing Federation in its efforts to remove from the competition and the world fencing environment people who support the brutal war in Ukraine and support the regime of Vladimir Putin.

"Therefore, as the organiser of the World Cup in Poznań, it could not accept such a situation."

Fencing World Cups in Tauberbischofsheim in Germany and Saint-Maur-des-Fossés in France had already been cancelled due to the situation.

All three were part of the Paris 2024 qualification process.

France, Sweden and Denmark are among other countries to say they won't host events with Russia and Belarus.

Poland's Sports Minister Kamil Bortnichuk had previously said that any Russian or Belarusian athletes taking part in sports competitions in the country would have to sign an statement condemning the war in Ukraine.

This led to an appeal to the FIE by the Russian Fencing Federation, which described the move as "pure provocation".

Ilgar Mammadov, the head of the Russian body, said Poland had to pull out of its World Cup as it did not meet FIE requirements.

"At the Congress of the International Fencing Federation it was said that all athletes should participate in competitions on equal terms," he told Russia's state news agency TASS.

"If someone puts up barriers, competitions from these countries will be selected and transferred to others.

"In this case, Poland was forced to abandon the tournament because the conditions they put forward do not meet the requirements of the FIE."

Mammadov added that he was seeking guidance about future World Cups and Russians competing.

"When we receive all the answers, we will consult with the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation on our participation in the competitions," he said. 

Last week, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board recommended that individual Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to re-enter competition, if they are not openly in support of the invasion of Ukraine or affiliated to the military.

This rolled back the stance it adopted after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when it called for an outright ban.

Ukraine's Government has said its athletes will not compete in any events with Russians taking part.

More than 300 fencers signed an open letter sent to IOC President Thomas Bach, himself a fencer who won Olympic team gold at Montreal 1976, urging him to not allow Russians and Belarusians in Paris 2024 qualification events.