Ukraine to boycott Winter Paralympics over Russians competing under their flag

Ukraine said Wednesday that its officials will not attend the Winter Paralympics next month over the decision by organizers to allow a handful of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flag.

Ukrainian athletes will still take part in the Milan Cortina Games, slated for March 6-15, but no officials from the country will be present at the opening ceremony or any events, Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said.

In a statement to NBC News, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which operates separately from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) currently running the Winter Olympics, said that 10 Para athletes from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete at the Paralympics, and will do so under their respective country’s flags.

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That’s a marked departure from the IOC’s position, which sees athletes from Russia and Belarus compete as independent neutral athletes. 20 such athletes have been cleared to compete in Milan Cortina without national flag, colors or anthem.

Belarus was a key staging area for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its athletes have been subjected to the same bans as Russia on the international stage.

“The decision by the @Paralympics organizers to allow killers and their accomplices to compete at the Paralympic Games under national flags is both disappointing and outrageous,” Bidny said in a separate statement on Wednesday, as he accused the IPC of giving a voice to Russia’s war propaganda.

“The flags of Russia and Belarus have no place at international sporting events that stand for fairness, integrity, and respect. These are the flags of regimes that have turned sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt,” he added.

Both countries were banned from Paralympic competitions after the invasion, but regained full membership rights and privileges in the IPC after member organizations voted in September not to maintain their partial suspensions.

Russia will have two spots in Para alpine skiing, two in Para cross-country skiing and two in Para snowboard, while Belarus was awarded four slots in total, all in Para cross-country skiing, the IPC’s statement said.