Eleven countries — Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine — together with the European Union will officially boycott the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Games, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
Ministry says the decision comes in response to the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) move to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the Games, with their national anthems played if they win medals.
Kyiv criticized the decision, arguing that permitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate with full national symbols undermines international efforts to isolate Moscow over its ongoing war against Ukraine. Belarus has also faced international condemnation for its support of Russia’s military actions.
Ukrainian officials said the boycott of the opening ceremony is intended as a political signal of protest rather than a complete withdrawal from the Games themselves.
The group of countries supporting the boycott includes several EU and NATO members, many of which have been among Ukraine’s strongest political and military supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The International Paralympic Committee has not yet publicly responded to the announcement. The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting events has remained a highly contentious issue since the start of the war in Ukraine, with different sports federations adopting varying approaches.
Some international organizations have allowed athletes from the two countries to compete only under neutral status, without national symbols, while others have imposed full bans.
The decision by a group of European countries and Ukraine to boycott the Paralympic Opening Ceremony highlights continuing divisions in the global sports community over how to handle Russian and Belarusian participation in major international competitions during the ongoing conflict.
Header image: Stock photo: Bob Martin/OIS
