The International Paralympic Committee, by its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paralympic Games under national flags, is effectively contributing to the "legalization" of war and the crimes of the Russian Federation. This was stated by the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Matviy Bidnyi on his official Facebook page, as reported by UNN.
Details
According to him, such a decision is "disappointing and outrageous," as the leadership of international organizations, in the minister's opinion, is trying not to see the obvious – that Russia uses international institutions and open societies to legitimize its aggression.
Bidnyi emphasized that the flags of Russia and Belarus should not appear at international sports competitions based on the principles of fairness, honesty, and respect, as these states have turned sports into an instrument of war and propaganda.
The Minister also noted that in Russia, Paralympic sports, in his assessment, have become a support for participants in the war against Ukraine who return from the front with injuries. He added that Russian athletes and para-athletes publicly glorify the war and receive state awards.
Separately, Bidnyi reminded that Ukraine has imposed sanctions against "propagandists in sports," the Paralympic Committee of Russia, and its head, Pavel Rozhkov. According to the minister, providing such representatives with an international platform means spreading war propaganda, and raising the Russian flag in the international arena becomes part of the Russian Federation's information campaign and creates a false signal that war is normal.
No, this is not normal
He called on international sports institutions to show courage and ban state symbols of aggressor countries from competitions, emphasizing that it is not too late to come to their senses if there is a will to protect justice in Paralympic sports.
The Minister assured that Ukraine will continue its work on international platforms, uphold the values of open societies, and counteract Russia's attempts to politicize sports.
Recall
It was previously announced that six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under national flags at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Russia received six spots in para-skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, while Belarus received four spots in cross-country skiing.