The International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this week lifted its recommendations on the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sport because of the invasion of Ukraine, allowing individuals to compete as neutrals provided they do not support the war and are not affiliated to the military.

A decision has yet to be taken on their participation at next year's Olympic Games in Paris 2024 , but Ukraine has declared that its athletes will boycott qualification events where Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing.

Lukashenko is Belarus' first and only President, sometimes referred to as the "last dictator" in Europe, and is a key ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine.

He yesterday suggested Russia could position intercontinental nuclear missiles in Belarusian territory, having already stationed tactical nuclear weapons there.

Reacting to the latest IOC recommendations, Lukashenko claimed that Belarus would "tolerate" and "endure" its athletes competing without national symbols, but would still consider positive results a national success.

"We must fight to help our athletes," he the country's official state press service Belarusian Telegraph Agency.

"But if our athlete comes out and performs, and he does not have our flag at the moment, will we have less pride for him?

"This is a patriot, this is our man."

Lukashenko also suggested he would be willing for athletes to declare their opposition to wars which he claimed had been "unleashed" by the West, including in Ukraine and Syria.

Concerns over the safety of opponents to Lukashenko's regime including athletes have long pre-dated the war in Ukraine.

At the re-arranged 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya defected to Poland after alleging she was taken to the airport in the Japanese capital against her will following public criticism of the national team's coaches.

Athletics head coach at Tokyo 2020 Yury Maisevich was recently charged by the Athletics Integrity Unit with acting without integrity and in bad faith.

The Belarusian Sports Solidarity Fund (BSSF) was founded in August 2020 following Lukashenko's disputed re-election to assist athletes facing pressure for opposing his Government.

Co-founders Aliaksandra Herasimenia and Aliaksandr Apeikin have been sentenced to 12 years in jail in Belarus in absentia.

The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOCRB) has faced several sanctions for failing to protect athletes from political discrimination, but has so far avoided suspension.

Lukashenko was President of the NOCRB from 1997 until 2021, when he was succeeded by his son Viktor Lukashenko in an election not recognised by the IOC.

The IOC's move to allow a Russian and Belarusian return to sport has proved controversial, but President Thomas Bach has claimed "we found some middle ground" and blasted criticism from European Governments opposed to its stance as "deplorable".