The Italian government has expressed strong opposition to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s decision to allow a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo under their national flags and with their national anthems played.
A joint statement by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Minister of Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi emphasized their “categorical opposition” to the admission of six Russian and four Belarusian athletes displaying state symbols.
“Russia’s ongoing violation of the ceasefire and the Paralympic ideals, with the support of Belarus, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games as anything other than neutral individual athletes,” the statement stated.
Minister Tajani also proposed a radical measure: refusing to issue Italian visas to accompanying persons of Russian and Belarusian Paralympians. According to the Italian press, this proposal had already been discussed at a closed meeting between the heads of the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Sport.
The IPC decision, made yesterday, allows a small group of athletes from the two countries to compete “on equal terms” with the rest of the participants, complete with flags, anthems, and uniforms. This marks the first time that national symbols have been reinstated for representatives of Russia and Belarus at major international competitions under the auspices of the Paralympic movement since 2022.
The reaction to the IPC’s decision was extremely negative in several European countries. Ukrainian officials announced a boycott of all official Paralympic events, and European Commissioner for Sport Glen Micallef announced he would not personally attend the Games’ opening ceremony on March 6 in Verona.
The Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will be held from March 6 to 15, 2026. Italy’s final position and possible visa restrictions are expected to be announced in the coming days.