Statement of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation

The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF) firmly opposes the return of Russia and Belarus to international ice hockey. LHF's position has remained unchanged since 2022: as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues, Latvian national teams will not play against Russia or Belarus.

Over the past few days, LHF, together with the national ice hockey federations of Finland, Norway and Denmark, has been actively working to coordinate a common position and joint actions regarding Russia's potential return to international ice hockey competitions.

We are pleased that these collective efforts are already delivering tangible results. All four national federations have now publicly expressed and formally communicated to the IIHF their position that their national teams will not play against Russia under the current circumstances. We welcome and fully support our international colleagues who have taken this principled stand.

The safety and well-being of our players, team staff and their families remain our highest priority. We continue to have serious concerns regarding potential security risks and the impact on the physical and psychological well-being of everyone involved.

LHF remains fully committed to continuing its close cooperation with international partners, expanding the group of like-minded federations and coordinating further joint actions within the IIHF.

We firmly believe that unity, solidarity and a coordinated approach are essential to protecting our athletes, upholding our shared values and safeguarding the integrity of international ice hockey.