Eleven countries and the EU are boycotting the opening of the 2026 Paralympics due to the admission of Russians and Belarusians.

Eleven countries, along with the European Union, have announced a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, which will soon begin in Italy, following the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags and anthems.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported this.

Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Germany joined the boycott.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that the IPC’s decision “turns a ceremony intended to promote peace into a war propaganda show for Moscow and Minsk,” calling the boycott a natural reaction to this move.

This year, Russian athletes will compete under their own flag and anthem for the first time since 2014. Long-standing restrictions were imposed due to doping scandals, and in 2022, the membership of the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus was suspended due to the full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

In December 2025, Russia and Belarus won an appeal against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport , allowing their athletes to compete and earn ranking points.

On February 18, it was announced that six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete under their countries’ flags at the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.

Ukrainian Youth and Sports Minister Matvey Bidny announced that Ukrainian officials will not attend the Paralympics, including the opening ceremony and other official events.

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games will be held from March 6 to 15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo . Seventy-nine medal events will be contested. Ukraine will be represented by 35 participants—25 Paralympians and 10 Athlete Guides.