Ukraine Announces Withdrawal from Winter Paralympics Following Russia-Belarus Ban Lift

Ukraine announced it will not participate in the 2026 Winter Paralympics following the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags. The decision was confirmed by Matveii Bydnyi, Minister of Sports, in response to the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) announcement on February 17th that 6 Russian and 4 Belarusian athletes would be permitted to compete under their own national flags. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Russia and its ally Belarus have been banned from international sporting events. Bydnyi stated, "Ukraine will not participate in the Paralympic competition. We will not attend the opening ceremony or any official activities. We thank other free world nations who will do the same. We will continue to stand strong." The Winter Paralympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with the opening ceremony on March 6th and closing ceremony on March 15th.