Overview
- Ukraine’s government and National Paralympic Committee will skip the March 6 opening in Verona and all official events, and they have asked that the Ukrainian flag not be used in the ceremony.
- The IPC has allocated six Russian and four Belarusian bipartite slots for Milan–Cortina 2026 with permission for national flags and anthems following the suspension lift in September 2025.
- Ukrainian athletes will still compete, with a announced delegation of 36 competitors, 22 coaches and additional staff traveling to Italy.
- Italy’s foreign and sports ministers issued an “absolute rejection” of the IPC move and said participation should be limited to neutral individual athletes, as organizers retain authority over ceremonial arrangements.
- Poland said no government representatives will attend the opening, EU sport commissioner Glenn Micallef will also stay away, and Germany’s Paralympic body reiterated its criticism of the IPC decision.