UK, Austria, Romania Join Growing Boycott of 2026 Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Three more countries—Austria, the United Kingdom, and Romania—will not attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Games due to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

This was announced by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha via X on March 4.

Austria, Romania, and the United Kingdom have confirmed that their official representatives will not be present at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Games, Sybiha said.

“Already, 14 countries and the EU have refused to participate in this event, in which the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russia and Belarus to wave their blood-stained flags. And the number is growing,” Ukraine’s top diplomat stated.

He emphasized that under the current circumstances, Russian and Belarusian flags at international competitions symbolize a war of aggression that has claimed the lives of at least 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches and damaged 800 sports facilities.

“We strongly urge all countries to refrain from sending officials to the ceremony. Say no to war propaganda and sportswashing,” Sybiha added.

Meanwhile, opposition to Russia’s participation in international sporting events continues to grow across Europe.

Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT has announced that it will not transmit the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games in protest against the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian representatives. As reported on March 3, the move was taken in coordination with fellow public broadcasters in Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.

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“We cannot agree with the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their countries' flags and are joining the initiative of Baltic broadcasters not to broadcast the opening ceremony,” LRT Deputy General Director Gytis Oganauskas stated.

The stance toward athletes from the two countries has evolved since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although they were barred from the 2022 Paralympics, competitors from Russia and Belarus were later permitted to take part as neutral athletes during the Summer Games in Paris two years afterward.

Earlier, the International Paralympic Committee has barred Ukraine’s national team from wearing its planned ceremonial uniforms at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, as the design incorporates a map depicting Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

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