The ICF ruled in April to allow Russian and Belarusian canoeists to return to its events under a neutral flag, provided they do not support the war in Ukraine.

More than 400 elite athletes from 32 countries are taking part at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Vejen but there are no canoeists from Russia and Belarus.

Faurschou told insidethegames that issues around the safety of athletes from the two countries led to their no-show in the Danish town.

"When we have the World Championships in Denmark, they have the opportunity to come here," said Faurschou.

"We did not have the opportunity [because of] the secureness around the teams from Russia and Belarus.

"We have stated that and therefore they are not here.

"[Russia and Belarus] have accepted it and it was also the same matter with the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg.

"They were not there and that was the same issue."

Faurschou said the DCF was opposed to the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus while war rages in Ukraine but admitted that they had to "stick by the rules" set by the ICF.

"We have a very good cooperation with the Nordic federations around the point," said Faurschou.

"We wrote a common letter to the ICF and we have spoken our point of view which is that we do not see Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in the ICF competitions.

"We know that the ICF Board had discussions because other letters were coming from other countries in the world.

"We know that Canada wrote a letter to them so that has been with the [ICF] Board, but the outcome was that the Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete but under a neutral flag.

"How can we pick athletes that are neutral in that situation?

"It is quite difficult.

"We have to stick by the rules and the agenda that the ICF is giving to us when we have the World Championships.

"We accept it 100 per cent because that is the way it is but as a federation we have our opinion on that along with the other Nordic countries and try to send a signal to the ICF.

"I think it will still be a topic over the coming year due to the continental [Olympic] qualifying that will be in Szeged in Hungary in May.

"We will have to see."

Ruud Heijselaar, chair of the ICF Canoe Marathon Committee, said he was keen to shine a light on the performances of Ukrainian athletes in Vejen.

"[Russian and Belarusian athletes] are concentrating on Olympic disciplines and we are not Olympic," said Heijselaar.

"They are not here.

"If they came, we know that Ukraine is not paddling.

"Ukraine has really nice paddlers.

"They have come to marathon for a long time."