Ukraine to Boycott Paralympics Opening Over IPC Approval of Russian and Belarusian Flags

Overview

• Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee said the team will skip the March 6 opening ceremony in Verona and asked that the Ukrainian flag not be displayed.
• The team’s competitions from March 6 to 15 will go ahead, with officials calling the IPC decision "outrageous."
• The IPC confirmed 10 combined athlete slots—six for Russia and four for Belarus—and authorized participation under their national flags, a move Ukraine says bypassed normal qualification.
• The European Union executive and Italy’s government said they will not attend the opening, with ministers Antonio Tajani and Andrea Abodi insisting participation should be limited to neutral individuals.
• The IPC declined substantive comment but said it is in contact with Ukraine’s committee, and no change to the allocations or flag policy has been announced.