Ukraine Boycotts the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics
Kyiv, Ukraine – The Ukrainian delegation will not participate in the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, scheduled for March 6. The decision is a clear protest against the readmission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags. The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee issued an official statement explaining that the absence from the opening ceremony is a declaration of rejection of the decision to allow the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.Days before the event, Ukraine had already announced that its leaders would not attend the ceremony either, underlining the seriousness of its position. The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee called the organizers’ decision “shameful”. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, international sports authorities had banned both countries from competing under their flags, only allowing the participation of athletes as neutrals. Ukraine had already expressed its disagreement with that formula, and now expresses its outrage at the full readmission. Ukrainian authorities believe that allowing the participation of these nations in the event contradicts the Olympic values of promoting peace, given the current war context, where Belarus is an ally of Russia. This incident adds to the recent tensions between Kyiv and the International Olympic Committee, reflecting the complex debate over the participation of Russia and Belarus in international sports competitions since the beginning of the conflict.Athletes from Russia and Belarus did not pass the qualification process to obtain licenses
Ukrainian Paralympic Committee
