The Russian Embassy in Italy has criticised the Italian government’s call to prevent Russian athletes from competing under their national flag at the Paralympic Games.
“No one has any doubt that the sphere of Paralympic sport needs special delicacy, tact, humanism and kindness. The rude and undiplomatic steps of two Italian politicians, who cover themselves with the authority of their government, are offensive and require universal condemnation,” the embassy said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Moscow said the actions of the Italian ministers were a manifestation of the Italian authorities’ “cowardly yielding” to the “increasingly audacious demands of the abominable Zelensky regime and its ‘fifth column’ in the Apennines, ‘double standards’ and gross violation of the principles of the Olympic Charter.”
The Italian government has expressed categorical disagreement with the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan under their national flags. A statement by Council of Ministers Vice President and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi also called on the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider the decision.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga thanked Tajani and Abodi for their clear stance on the “shameful decision to allow the use of the national emblems of Russia and Belarus” and called on partner countries to boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.
The International Paralympic Committee said this week that six Russians and four Belarusians would be allowed to compete under national flags at the Paralympic Games in Italy.
Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports Matvey Poor said representatives of the Ukrainian government would boycott the Paralympic Games in Italy because of the decision.
The Winter Paralympic Games will be held in Milan from 6 to 15 March.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete at the Olympics only under a neutral flag.