Ukraine's sports minister has condemned the decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at next month's Winter Paralympics, calling it 'disappointing and outrageous'. Matvii Bidnyi announced that Ukrainian officials will boycott the opening ceremony and other official events in protest.
'The flags of Russia and Belarus have no place at international sporting events that stand for fairness, integrity, and respect,' Bidnyi said in response to the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision on Monday. He accused the regimes of turning sport into a tool of war and propaganda.
The IPC lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes in September, despite Russia's flag and anthem being absent from the Olympics and Paralympics since the 2014 Sochi Games due to state-sponsored doping and the invasion of Ukraine. Bidnyi urged the IPC to reconsider before the Games begin on 6 March.
'Athletes and para-athletes in Russia glorify the war and receive state honours,' he said. 'Giving them a platform means giving a voice to war propaganda.' Bidnyi confirmed Ukraine will not attend the opening ceremony or any other official Paralympic events, thanking officials from the free world who do the same.
The Russian news agency Tass reported that three-time Paralympic champion Aleksey Bugaev and other medalists have been invited to Milano Cortina. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also urged the IPC to reconsider, stating on X that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags 'sends a terrible message'.
