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Ukraine’s Paralympic team has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics after athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate under their national flags.
According to the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, the entire Ukrainian delegation will refuse to attend the ceremony and has requested that the country’s flag not be displayed during the event. The committee said the decision is a protest against the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian representatives.
Soon afterward, reports indicated that Ukrainian officials would extend the boycott beyond the ceremony to the whole Games. European officials have also reacted: Glenn Micallef, the EU commissioner for sport, confirmed he will not attend the opening event, and Poland joined the ceremony boycott as well.
Organizers previously confirmed that Russia would be represented at the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Olympics by 13 athletes competing under neutral status without national symbols, though some have publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin leadership.
The Winter Paralympics will take place in Italy from March 6 to 15. At the previous Games — the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics — Ukraine achieved a historic result, winning 29 medals and finishing second in the overall standings.
