More than 30 countries, including the United States, Britain and France, on Monday pledged their support for banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sporting events, a British government statement said. The move increases the pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is desperate to avoid the 2024 Paris Olympics being torn asunder by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Monday'sstatement follows recent proposals from the IOC which suggest a pathway is being explored to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return