Italy demands Paralympics reverse decision on Russian, Belarusian flags

Italy demands Paralympic Committee reverse decision

The Italian government has called on the International Paralympic Committee to reverse its decision allowing 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags and anthems at next month's Paralympic Games. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi made the demand on Thursday, citing Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

They stated the IPC's stance contradicts the Olympic spirit. The government expressed its "absolute opposition" to the ruling made last September.

Italy aligns with dozens of other nations

In a statement, the ministers said Rome's position echoes that of 33 other countries and the European Commission. They argued that Russia's actions are incompatible with full participation in the Games.

"Russia’s continued violation of the truce and Olympic and Paralympic ideals, supported by Belarus, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games, except as neutral individual athletes," the statement read.

Russia condemns Italy's "offensive" stance

Russia's embassy in Italy swiftly condemned the ministers' remarks, calling them "unacceptable." In a post on Telegram, the embassy said targeting athletes with disabilities was wrong.

"The harsh and undiplomatic stance taken by the two Italian politicians, backed by the authority of the government they represent, is offensive and deserves widespread condemnation," the statement said.

A complex path to reinstatement

Russia and Belarus were banned from Paralympic competition following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They regained full rights in the IPC following a vote by the committee's members last year.

However, international sports federations had maintained their own bans. The situation changed in December when Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation's ban.

The current status of athletes from these nations involves several key distinctions:

• At the ongoing Winter Olympics, a limited number compete as neutral independents without flags or anthems.
• Their national Olympic committees remain sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.
• The IPC's September ruling marked a shift toward full symbolic representation for the upcoming Paralympics.

Italy denies plans to block athlete visas

An Italian ministerial source denied a report suggesting Foreign Minister Tajani might block visas for the Russian athletes. The report appeared in the newspaper La Repubblica.

"The Italian authorities would not take any action to block visas for athletes or their entourage if their participation was confirmed," the source stated, clarifying the government's position.

The 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina are scheduled to run from March 6th to March 15th.