Paralympics-2026 under scandal: Ukraine was banned from wearing uniforms with the country’s map, several countries boycott the opening

The Winter Paralympics 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo have not yet started, but a political conflict is already brewing around them. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) allowed some Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate with national symbols, which sparked a wave of boycotts of the opening ceremony.

Another decision added additional resonance: the Ukrainian team was banned from using uniforms with a map of Ukraine, which the IPC called ‘political.’

‘Political Uniform’: What Was Banned for the Ukrainian Team

Statement by Valeriy Sushkevych

The ban on uniforms with a map of Ukraine was reported by the President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, Valeriy Sushkevych. According to him, the IPC explained the decision by saying that such symbolism is allegedly ‘political.’

In Kyiv, this is perceived differently: the map of the country is not a slogan or propaganda, but a basic symbol of a state that has been living in conditions of full-scale war for the fourth year.

Sushkevych publicly stated that he was outraged by the admission of Russian athletes under the Russian flag and called the situation an escalation of loyalty to the aggressor country. At the same time, Ukraine, according to him, does not intend to give up the competition without a fight and does not intend to ‘allow Putin to win by excluding Ukrainians from the Games.’

In this logic, it is crucial for Ukraine to separate two decisions: to boycott the opening ceremony as a symbolic act, but not to refuse participation in the sports part.

Admission of Russians and Belarusians under flags: Who and how is reacting

Boycott of the opening ceremony: Ukraine and allies

The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee announced that the team will not participate in the opening ceremony as a protest against the participation of Russians and Belarusians under national flags and the possible performance of anthems at award ceremonies.

A number of countries joined the boycott. Public statements express a common thought: sports should not become a mechanism for normalizing aggression, and the national symbols of states that are waging war and supporting war cannot be present at official ceremonies as ‘ordinary’ attributes.

Among the countries that announced a boycott of the opening in various formats were mentioned:

Poland.

Czech Republic.

Finland.

Latvia.

Estonia.

Netherlands.

Canada.

Lithuania — including the Prime Minister’s position on a political boycott.

In some cases, national committees also asked organizers not to use their flags at the opening ceremony and refused any pre-prepared video materials for the ceremony.

A separate line is the position of the European Union. The European Sports Commissioner publicly stated that he would not attend the opening, explaining this by the impossibility of supporting the return of flags and anthems of countries associated with the war against Ukraine.

The Italian authorities, as the host country, also criticized the IPC’s decision and called for it to be reconsidered.

Against this backdrop, the editorial team of NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes an important nuance: the boycott itself is chosen in the most ‘targeted’ format. Countries try not to completely disrupt the sports part but show the boundary beyond which symbolic ‘whitening’ of the war begins.

IPC Position: ‘The Ceremony Should Not Be Politicized’

Response of Andrew Parsons and the Dispute Over Rules

IPC President Andrew Parsons confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete with national symbols and stated that the committee has no legal mechanism to prevent them.

At the same time, he insists that the opening ceremony ‘should not be politicized,’ and simultaneously says that the IPC respects the right of national committees to refuse participation in official ceremonies.

Formally, this looks like a compromise: athletes are allowed, but no sanctions are promised for boycotting the ceremony.

In practice, the conflict only escalates due to the double standard pointed out by critics: if the map of Ukraine is ‘politics,’ then the flag of the aggressor state at the ceremony is ‘sport.’

The Winter Paralympic Games 2026 will be held from March 6 to 15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. A total of 79 sets of medals will be contested at the competitions.

And it is precisely around what symbols the world will see at the ceremonies that the main scandal is unfolding even before the start of the Games.