Ukrainian officials will boycott the opening ceremony and all other official events at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, in protest over the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags. The boycott, confirmed by Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi on Wednesday, will not extend to Ukrainian athletes themselves, who will still participate in the games, scheduled to commence on March 6.
The IPC’s decision on Tuesday cleared a total of ten para-athletes – six from Russia and four from Belarus – to compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding. This marks the first time the Russian flag will be flown at a Paralympic Games since the 2014 games in Sochi, where Russia hosted the event. The country’s athletes were previously banned due to a state-sponsored doping program, and sanctions remained in place following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The IPC can confirm that NPC Russia has been awarded a total of six slots: two in Para alpine skiing (one male, one female), two in Para cross-country skiing (one male, one female), and two in Para snowboard (both male),” the IPC stated. “NPC Belarus has been awarded four slots in total, all in cross-country skiing (one male and three female).”
The decision stems from a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which had maintained its own ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. This ruling allowed athletes from both countries to return to FIS competitions, ultimately leading to the allocation of bipartite commission invitations to the Paralympics.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the IPC’s decision as “awful” and “not respectable,” characterizing it as a move that disregards European values. European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef echoed this sentiment, announcing his own boycott of the opening ceremony and urging others to follow suit.
The initial suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes followed the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A partial lifting of the ban in 2023 allowed athletes to compete as neutrals, but prohibited the use of national symbols. The current decision to permit participation under national flags represents a significant shift in policy.
Johan Eliasch, president of the FIS, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to award bipartite places, stating it “was not easy.” The IPC had previously indicated in November that athletes from Russia and Belarus would not be present at the Milan-Cortina Games, a position that has now been reversed.
Italy, the host nation of the Paralympics, has also expressed its disapproval. Italian officials have described the decision as “incompatible with participation,” signaling a potential diplomatic strain surrounding the event.
