What two countries are banned from the Winter Olympics?

No countries are permanently banned from the Winter Olympics, but at various times countries have been excluded due to wars, doping, or International Olympic Committee sanctions, and currently Russia and Belarus face major restrictions. For the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Russia was technically banned from competing under its national flag due to doping sanctions, with athletes competing as ROC Russian Olympic Committee, not as Russia. For upcoming Winter Olympics including 2026 Milan-Cortina, Russia and Belarus are effectively banned from competing as nations due to IOC sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with only individual neutral athletes possibly allowed under strict conditions, not national teams. Historically, Germany and Japan were banned from 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz after World War II. South Africa was banned from Olympics from 1964 to 1992 due to apartheid. So there is no permanent two-country ban list, but as of 2024 to 2026, Russia and Belarus are the two countries that are banned from competing under their own flags at Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics, with their athletes only allowed as Individual Neutral Athletes if they meet criteria and do not support war. The IOC decides bans based on violations of Olympic Charter.