Italy presses IPC to revisit ruling on Russian, Belarusian flags, anthems

Italy Challenges IPC Ruling on Flags and Anthems

MILAN, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Host Italy has called on the International Paralympic Committee to review its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags and with anthems at next month’s Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics.

Government’s Objection and Rationale

Foreign Minister Antonio  Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea  Abodi said the move was incompatible with the spirit of the Games while the war in Ukraine continues.

The Italian government "categorically disagreed" with the IPC's ruling, adopted by its General Assembly in September, they said in a statement late on Wednesday, adding that Italy was aligned with 33 countries and the European Commission in its concerns over the reinstatement.

Call for the IPC to Reconsider

Rome also "asks the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider this decision," saying that "the prolonged violations of the ceasefire by Russia, and of Olympic and Paralympic ideals, supported by Belarus, are incompatible with participation except as neutral individual competitors."

Paralympic Schedule in Italy

The Winter Paralympic Games will run in Italy from March 6 to March  15.

IPC Membership and Ban History

Both countries were banned from Paralympic competitions after Moscow's 2022 invasion but regained full membership rights in the IPC after member organisations voted in September 2025 to lift their partial suspensions.

Belarus’s Role in the Invasion

Belarus was a key staging area for the invasion.

Federations’ Bans and CAS Appeal

International federations for each sport on the Paralympic Games programme had said they would maintain bans on athletes from those countries, but Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in December against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.   

Olympics vs. Paralympics Participation

While the athletes can compete under their own flags at the Paralympics, a limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing as independent neutral athletes without flags or anthems at the ongoing Winter Games, with the Olympic Committees of the two nations still sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. 

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)