The 70-year-old Norwegian added the Russians would be back at some point competing under their flag instead of the neutral one they are obliged to race under now.
Hansen admits the scandal -- precipitating a blanket ban on Russia's athletes at last year's Rio Olympics save for those who met stringent criteria -- which also implicated officials from the sport's governing body the IAAF had left a lot of people feeling let down.
"We are not proud of the decision (by the IAAF) to ban the Russian team taken in Vienna in June last year but we stand with it because it shows we don't accept cheating in our sport," said Hansen.
"I think last year's European Championships in Amsterdam was a real game changer," he added before delivering the keynote speech to the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) Forum.
Hansen, elected to his post in 2015 after years as director of the historic Bislett Games meet, continued: "The stadium was full, there were good performances and a good atmosphere.
"European athletics is moving forward and we have put in a lot of things such as good governance.
"When I travel around Europe it is clear we are not a sport in crisis, we are not in Europe at least.
"We have so many people working so hard for this and they feel let down by what happened especially in Monaco (IAAF headquarters) and we are awaiting the outcome of the police investigation for real answers."
Hansen said the criteria was in place -- as stipulated last June in Vienna and then further measures were laid down last November -- for a gradual return to athletic continental competition of Russian athletes this year.
