Overview
- IPC members voted on 27 September to lift the partial ban and restore full membership for Russia and Belarus, allowing national symbols at IPC events, with reported tallies of 111–55 and 91–77 on key measures.
- IPC president Andrew Parsons said the organisation’s membership made the call and acknowledged he expects reactions from countries that oppose the move.
- Despite the vote, international federations still control eligibility and several currently bar Russian and Belarusian entries, which would prevent participation in all six sports on the Milan–Cortina 2026 Paralympic programme.
- Ukraine condemned the decision as shameful and said it may consider boycotting the 2026 Winter Paralympics, while Latvian and German Paralympic officials and a UK government spokesperson also criticised the move.
- Russian sports authorities welcomed the decision as fair and urged other bodies to follow, and the IPC’s direct governance of para athletics and para swimming gives it authority over those disciplines’ participation pathways.