Ukraine Slams Decision Letting Russian, Belarusian Athletes Fly National Flags at Winter Paralympics

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned a decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Paralympics under their national flags, saying the move “insults the Paralympic community and all of Ukraine” and undermines trust in international sport, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on February 18.

Sybiha said that flags and anthems of aggressors symbolize regimes waging an aggressive war, and that displaying those symbols in competition “justifies the crimes” of Russian forces and their Belarusian allies.

The ministry said Russia had turned sport into “an instrument of war against the free world,” and accused the Russian Paralympic movement of glorifying participants in the war and rewarding support for the aggression.

Ukraine urged the International Paralympic Committee and the Games’ organizers to reconsider the decision and ban Russian and Belarusian state symbols at the Paralympics.

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The statement said if the decision is not reversed, Ukrainian officials will not travel to the Games and will skip the opening ceremony and other official events, while calling on government representatives from “the free world” to also avoid ceremonies and official functions “so as not to normalize the whitewashing of war crimes and genocide” by their presence.

Earlier, it was reported that the International Paralympic Committee confirmed invitations for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2026 Winter Paralympics with national flags and symbols.

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