Two weeks before the start of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, a new diplomatic case explodes. The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee has announced that its athletes will not take part in the opening ceremony scheduled for March 6 at the Verona Arena, in protest against the official readmission of Russian and Belarusian athletes with the flag and national anthem.
A strong decision, which comes after the announcement of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow ten athletes – six Russians and four Belarusians – to compete fully representing their respective countries. For Kiev it is a choice”shameful”, defined as a step back from the sporting sanctions adopted after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Stop to the ceremony and flag absent
The boycott is not limited to the absence of athletes on opening night. In the official statement, the Ukrainian committee explicitly asked that the national flag not be displayed during the ceremony. A symbolic gesture that aims to underline the dissent towards the IPC’s decision.
The Kiev government had already anticipated that no institutional representatives would attend the events connected to the Games. Now the protest directly involves the Paralympic team, although without leading to a complete withdrawal from the competition.
The IPC decision and the return of the flags
The turning point came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted the appeals presented by the federations of Russia and Belarus. The IPC then lifted the partial suspension introduced in 2023, allowing athletes to compete with official uniforms, national symbols and anthems. Specifically, six Russian athletes will participate in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and Paralympic snowboarding, while four Belarusians – one man and three women – will compete in cross-country skiing. A numerically limited presence, but politically significant.
A tension that accompanies the Games
Ukraine’s choice not to parade in Verona casts a shadow over the inaugural ceremony of the XIV Paralympic Games, which will take place from 6 to 15 March between Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Tesero and Verona. The president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee had already publicly expressed indignation, while making it clear that a total boycott would risk turning into a symbolic advantage for Moscow. And so, while the athletes prepare for the competitions, the Paralympic stage also transforms into a ground for geopolitical confrontation in a climate that promises to be full of meanings beyond the tracks and the medals.
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