Two weeks before the 2026 Winter Paralympics open in Milan, the biggest story isn't the sport. It's a flag.

On February 17, the International Paralympic Committee announced that six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete at the Milan-Cortina Games under their national flags, with national anthems and uniforms. The decision landed like a shockwave. Ukraine announced an official boycott. The European Commission said it won't attend the opening ceremony. As host country, Italy called on the IPC to reverse course.

If you're trying to make sense of it all before the Games begin on March 6, here's a clear breakdown of what happened and where things stand.

Who Is Actually Competing?

Ten athletes total received clearance to compete:

Russia (6 athletes):

• Para alpine skiing: 1 male, 1 female
• Para cross-country skiing: 1 male, 1 female
• Para snowboard: 2 male

Belarus (4 athletes):

• Para cross-country skiing: 1 male, 3 female

This marks the first time the Russian flag has been present at a Paralympics since the 2014 Sochi Games.

How Did This Decision Happen?

Russia and Belarus were banned from Paralympic competition in 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In September 2025, the IPC reinstated both national committees' membership rights.

After reinstatement, individual sports federations still had the ability to maintain their own suspensions. Most did. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) kept its ban, which would have blocked these athletes from qualifying through normal competition.

Russia and Belarus took the FIS to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and won. The IPC then used that ruling as the basis for granting the 10 athletes wild card spots, saying these athletes were denied the opportunity to qualify through no fault of their own. The IPC has stated they will be treated "like those from any other country."

Ukraine's Response

Ukraine's position is unambiguous. Officials announced a political boycott: no government representatives will attend the opening ceremony or any events. Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi called the decision "disappointing and outrageous."

Ukrainian athletes will still compete. That context carries real weight. Some members of Ukraine's Paralympic team have disabilities that came from injuries sustained on the front lines while fighting Russia. They will share venues and podiums with athletes competing under the Russian flag.

Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister has also instructed ambassadors worldwide to pressure their host governments not to attend the opening ceremony unless the IPC reverses its decision.

The International Backlash

The reaction has been broad and fast-moving.

EU Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef announced he is boycotting the March 6 opening ceremony at the Arena di Verona. In a public statement, he wrote: "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."

Italy, as the host nation, finds itself in a particularly uncomfortable position. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi have both publicly called on the IPC to reverse the decision, saying it contradicts the Olympic spirit. Italy says its opposition reflects the stance of 33 other countries. Notably, an Italian government source denied reports that Italy was considering blocking visas for Russian athletes.

The UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport called the decision "completely the wrong decision" and urged the IPC to reconsider urgently.

Latvia and Lithuania also called for a reversal through their foreign ministers.

How This Differs from the Olympics

Worth noting: at the concurrent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing as independent neutral athletes, with no national flags, no anthems, no uniforms. The IPC's decision goes further than the IOC's current position, restoring the full national identity that the Olympics has withheld.

What Happens Next

As of February 19, the IPC has not signaled it will change course. The opening ceremony is scheduled for March 6 at the Arena di Verona.

Whether additional countries announce further boycotts in the coming days remains an open question. What is certain is that Ukrainian athletes, some of whom carry the physical marks of this war, will compete in one of the most politically charged Paralympic environments in the Games' history.

For the disability sports community, this moment is complicated. The Paralympics exist to celebrate what athletes with disabilities can achieve when given the same stage as anyone else. That mission hasn't changed. But the stage, right now, is contested in ways that go well beyond sport.

The Games begin in 15 days.