Ukraine To Boycott Paralympics Opening Ceremony After IPC Permits Russian, Belarusian Banners!

Last Updated:February 20, 2026, 15:56 IST

Ukraine's decision comes after the IPC permitted six Russians and four Belarusians to participate under their own flags at Milan-Cortina Paralympics instead of as neutral athletes.

Ukraine’s Paralympic athletes will skip the Opening Ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games next month in protest against the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag, Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced.

“The Ukrainian Paralympic team and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are boycotting the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Paralympic Games and demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics-2026," the committee stated late Thursday night.

This decision follows that of Ukrainian government officials, who declared on Wednesday that they would boycott the March 6 ceremony in Verona.

Their anger was provoked by the IPC’s decision to allow six Russians and four Belarusians to participate under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympics instead of as neutral athletes.

Russia and Belarus were banned from the 2022 Paralympics following the invasion of Ukraine, although they were allowed to compete as neutral athletes in the Paris Summer Paralympics two years later.

Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matviy Bidny called the decision “outrageous" and accused Russia and its ally Belarus of turning “sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt".

Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, told AFP on Tuesday that Kyiv’s athletes would not pursue a full boycott of the Paralympics.

Ukraine traditionally performs strongly at the Winter Paralympics, having come second in the medals table four years ago in Beijing.

“If we do not go, it would mean allowing Putin to claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine by excluding us from the Games," said the 71-year-old in an interview. “That will not happen!"

Sushkevych’s anger at what he perceived as a betrayal of Ukraine was evident in his interview with AFP on Tuesday, culminating in Thursday’s decision.

Sushkevych noted that the Ukrainian team’s motto at the 2022 Games, “Peace for all", had not been reflected this time by the IPC. “I would like to stress that at that time the IPC leaders supported our fight against the war," he said. “Today, the IPC has changed its position and failed to adhere to the values of humanity, democracy, and the philosophy of the international Paralympic movement, precisely in accordance with the slogan ‘Peace for all’. But we will continue to fight to unite nations in the struggle against war."

The Ukrainians are not alone in expressing their dissatisfaction with the decision. The Italian government voiced its disapproval, and Glenn Micallef, the EU Commissioner for Sport, stated he would boycott the ceremony.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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