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Ukraine and Estonia Boycott Opening Ceremony of 2026 Winter Paralympics Over Russia and Belarus Participation
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukraine and Estonia have announced their decision to boycott the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in protest of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags.
The Ukrainian Paralympic team, alongside the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, made the announcement on February 20, in response to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) granting Russia the largest number of slots for participation, allowing them to compete without a qualification process.
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“Many countries around the world had requested additional slots for their young athletes and to start developing winter Paralympic sports in their countries, but contrary to the regulations for slot distribution, the IPC decided to give the largest number of slots to Russia,” the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee emphasized.
The IPC's decision to permit Russian athletes to compete under their national flag has been viewed as a political maneuver that contradicts the fundamental principles of slot distribution for the Paralympic Games. In response, Ukraine has called for the Ukrainian flag to not be used during the ceremonies. However, Ukraine will not be boycotting the competitive events, which will take place from March 6 to 15, 2026.
“We will fight for the sporting victories of Ukrainian athletes at the Winter Paralympic Games and, together with athletes from other countries, we will strive for the principles of fairness in Paralympic sport,” stated the Ukrainian Paralympic team.
Estonia has also supported the boycott, with representatives of the Estonian Paralympic Committee (EPC) confirming that they will not participate in the official ceremonies of the Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina, as reported by ERR on February 19. The EPC opposes the IPC and the International Ski Federation's (FIS) decision to allow athletes from "aggressor countries—Russia and Belarus—to compete under their national flags.”
“Our athletes have done exceptional work to make a name for themselves on the world stage. The EPC fully supports the right of athletes to perform and show their best form. At the same time, as an organization, we believe that in international sports, it is necessary to defend values that protect human rights and principles of international law. Estonia's solidarity with Ukraine is sincere and unwavering,” emphasized Alfred Värnik, head of the Estonian delegation.
According to ERR, the EPC advocates that international sports and parasports should not be used as tools to justify or normalize military aggression.
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Estonia’s broadcaster ERR has also confirmed that it will not air any competitions from the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete under their national flags, following the IPC's move to lift the suspension on athletes from Russia and Belarus. said Rivo Saarna, head of the sports editorial department at ERR.
Rivo Saarna, head of the sports editorial department at ERR, stated that while ERR plans to air the opening and closing ceremonies live, the broadcaster will use these broadcasts to provide context about the decisions made by international sports bodies and to explain the background surrounding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Earlier, the Russian Paralympic Committee announced that around 500 veterans of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have now been incorporated into the national and regional Paralympic teams.
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