Sports minister Edith Schippers and princess Margriet have cancelled their plans to attend the Paralympic Games in Sochi because of the current situation in Ukraine.

‘It is a measure the cabinet can use to show that we will not tolerate a sovereign state being invaded,’ Schippers said. The Dutch athletes will go to Sochi ‘as long as their safety can be guaranteed,’ she said.

Britain and the US said earlier they are not sending an official delegation to the games in protest at the Russian action in Crimea.