What happened

On 18 February the Italian government published a joint statement expressing categorical disagreement with the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete at the Milan—Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games under their national emblems and with their national anthem. The news of the Italian government's position was distributed by UNN; the statement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Minister of Sport Andrea Abodi.

“The Government of Italy expresses its categorical disagreement with the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to take part in the Milan—Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games with their national emblems, including the national anthem.”

— Government of Italy (Antonio Tajani, Andrea Abodi)

Why it matters

The IPC decision is not only about individual athletes. It creates a precedent for the return of state symbols of aggressor countries to the international sporting arena. For Ukraine this issue has three dimensions: moral (respect for the victims of the aggression), security (the impact on the participation and protection of Ukrainian delegations) and reputational (whether sanctions and isolation remain pressure on the political leadership of the Russian Federation).

Social and diplomatic signal: when international organizations allow the public display of the symbols of a country that is waging war, it is perceived as a concession or normalization. That is why Italy acted together with 33 other countries and the European Commission — a sign that the IPC decision provoked broad international concern.

International reaction

In addition to Italy, several European institutions and politicians have already called for a boycott and for reconsidering participation in the opening of the Games. In a statement the European Commissioner emphasized that Russia’s ongoing violation of the ceasefire and Belarus’s supporting role make the full restoration of their paralympic structures incompatible with the values of the Games.

“Russia’s ongoing violation of the ceasefire and of Olympic and Paralympic ideals, which Belarus supports, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games, except as neutral individual athletes.”

— European Commissioner

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the IPC decision “dirty” and “horrible,” reflecting the position of many Ukrainian officials and members of the public about the impossibility of fully reintegrating the state symbols of an aggressor into international events.

“This is a dirty and horrible decision.”

— Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine

What may happen next

There are several realistic scenarios: the IPC may yield to pressure from states and EU bodies and revise its decision; it may leave the status quo in place but face diplomatic sanctions, boycotts, or refusals by some delegations to take part in ceremonies; or the reaction may further politicize elite sport, creating long-term risks for the apolitical status of international federations.

What this means for Ukraine: partners’ political declarations must be turned into concrete actions — from diplomatic pressure to coordination on the format of participation for athletes from aggressor countries. At the same time, it is important to support Ukrainian paralympians preparing for the Games and to ensure their safety and moral backing.

Now the ball is in the IPC’s court and in the hands of the countries that have lodged protests: declarations must become concrete steps so that sport does not become a tool for legitimizing aggression. Whether partners agree to act in a coordinated way is a question that will determine not only the atmosphere in Milan 2026 but also the standards of the international community’s response to similar challenges.