The European Union will boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympics following the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags. European Commissioner for Sport Glenn McAuley said he would not attend the ceremony and called on like-minded people to do the same.
This was reported by Politico.
The International Olympic Committee announced yesterday that it would allow a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags. According to the committee, these athletes will be treated “the same as representatives of any other country.” It allocated six wild card spots to Russia and four to Belarus.
Glenn Micalluf called the decision to allow the use of Russian and Belarusian flags “unacceptable.”
“While Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the restoration of national symbols, flags, anthems, and uniforms that are inextricably linked to this conflict,” he wrote on X.
He added that he would not attend the opening ceremony and called on “like-minded colleagues” to do the same.
Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidny called the International Paralympic Committee’s decision “disappointing and outrageous” and said that Ukrainian government representatives would boycott the Paralympic Games in Italy because of this decision.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Paralympic Games under their national flags undermines trust in international sports and disrespects Ukraine. The ministry emphasized that the state symbols of these countries are associated with aggressive warfare, and their use in the sporting arena effectively justifies the actions of the aggressor.
Ukraine called on the International Paralympic Committee and the organizers of the Games to reconsider their decision and ban the state symbols of Russia and Belarus. If this does not happen, Ukrainian officials will not participate in the opening ceremony and other official events of the Paralympics.
The Paralympic Games will take place in Milan from March 6 to 15.