Paralympic politics: how Russia, Belarus and Israel sparked opening ceremony boycotts
- Written by The Conversation
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics takes place on Friday but geopolitical tensions have spurred some countries, including the Czech Republic, Finland and Ukraine, to boycott the opening ceremony.
The planned boycotts come after a vexed build-up to the summer Olympics in Italy and continuing political uncertainty.
So, why are some countries boycotting the opening ceremony and how may the event be affected?
A tense lead-up
The build-up to the Paralympics, and the Winter Olympics before them, have been tense.
In February, many Italians protested when the United States confirmed it would send security officers from a unit of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the recently completed Winter Olympics. These officers were stationed at the US Consulate in Milan to provide support to the broader US security team.
Then just this week, the Middle East has been rocked by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
And on Wednesday, it was revealed the Ukrainian team had to change its uniform for the Paralympics because they featured a map of the country’s internationally recognised borders.
Items related to national identity are forbidden by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). An alternative uniform was provided within 24 hours.
This brings us to the opening ceremony.
Why are some countries boycotting the ceremony?
A number of countries – including Germany, Finland, Latvia, Poland, and the Netherlands – have said they will boycott it outright or substantially reduce the number of team members who attend.
Some countries will be represented by proxy – that is, by local volunteers who will hold that nation’s flag and wave, on its behalf, to the dignitaries in the arena and the millions watching worldwide.
Russia is the reason these countries are rallying.
The IPC, as with most sports globally, banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing in major international events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
While the IPC initially imposed a blanket ban, it subsequently allowed a limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
But at its General Assembly in September 2025, IPC members voted to fully reinstate the membership rights of both Russia and Belarus.
The votes to rescind both the full and partial bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing at Paralympics were comprehensive: 2:1 in favour of reinstatement, as premised, in part, on a:
desire to separate politics from sport to a belief that the treatment of Russia had been inconsistent with that afforded Israel.
Despite the IPC vote, a number of international federations, which decide on the qualifying criteria for Paralympics, wanted to retain the partial suspension.
The matter was appealed to sport’s international court of justice, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which struck down the partial suspension.
This meant a limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes (six and four respectively) will compete at the Milan Cortina Paralympics, and they will do so under their own flags.
The fallout
All of this sparked outrage from Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky condemning it as a “dirty decision” at odds with European values.
Ukraine’s condemnation has been forcefully supported by many of its European allies – including Finland, Latvia, Poland and the Netherlands – the European Commission and Canada.
Not wanting to disadvantage its athletes by fully withdrawing from the games, these countries decided to boycott the opening ceremony.
But the IPC’s political troubles with the Winter Paralympics may not end with its opening.
Further concerns
The biggest legal issue at the Winter Olympics was the decision by the IOC to disqualify a Ukrainian athlete who wished to wear a helmet in remembrance of those lost in the war with Russia.
But what happens if, during an event, a Ukrainian para-athlete (or indeed a Russian or Belarusian competitor) makes a political gesture, either in celebration or defiance?
If such a gesture happens on the podium, will that athlete be stripped of their medal for breaching IPC rules on political neutrality?
The IPC is also keeping an eye on current events in the Middle East, but the attack by the US and Israel on Iran is likely to have greater impact on 2026’s biggest sporting event – soccer’s FIFA World Cup.
Attracting attention for the wrong reasons
The opening ceremony for the games will take place at the Verona Arena.
It is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in Europe. Built in the first century, it hosted gladiatorial games. Now, it hosts municipal events such as opera festivals.
It is a perfect setting for an opening ceremony, yet the Paralympics’ mission may be somewhat overshadowed, at least initially.
For the IPC, the Paralympics are central to its mission to use para-sport as a means to advance the lives of people with disabilities and create an inclusive world.
An opening ceremony is therefore an important means of introducing the world to these athletes – their struggles, stories and successes.
Current geopolitical uncertainty means, however, this opening ceremony is attracting attention for other reasons.
