The European Commission will boycott the Milan-Cortina Paralympics Opening Ceremony in protest at a decision to let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under their national flags,
Euronews reports.
Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef said he considered the move "unacceptable" and will not attend the ceremony, which will be hosted at the Verona Arena on 6 March.
“While Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the reinstatement of national symbols, flags, anthems, and uniforms, that are inseparable from that conflict,” he wrote on X.
“For this reason, I will not attend the Paralympics Opening Ceremony.”
Micallef made his announcement after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed that six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under their national flags this year, telling news agency AFP on Tuesday that they will be treated like those from any other country.
Ukrainian officials will also boycott the Winter Paralympics and will abstain from all official Paralympic events in response to the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags.
Ukraine’s sports minister called the decision “outrageous”.
“The decision by the International Paralympic committee to allow killers and their accomplices to compete at the Paralympic Games under national flags is both disappointing and outrageous,” he wrote on X.
