The United Kingdom has joined the boycott of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy. This decision was made in protest against the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus under national flags. This was reported by DW.
The British government emphasized that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not represent their countries at international sporting events while the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine continues.
«We have made it clear that Russia and Belarus should not be represented in international sports while the barbaric invasion of Ukraine continues», — stated a representative of the British Prime Minister's government, Keir Starmer.
Boycott of the 2026 Paralympics: which countries refused to attend the ceremonies
Earlier, other countries also announced a boycott of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. Their teams will participate in the competitions, but they will not take part in the ceremonial events.
The following countries joined the boycott:
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Ukraine
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Germany
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Poland
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Czech Republic
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Netherlands
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Canada
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Finland
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Estonia
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Latvia
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United Kingdom
Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybig, called for a boycott of the opening ceremony.
Participation of Russian athletes in the Paralympics in Italy
According to available information, ten athletes from these countries will participate in the Paralympic Games in Italy:
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six athletes from Russia
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four athletes from Belarus
In September 2025, the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee reinstated the memberships of the Paralympic committees of Russia and Belarus, which had been suspended after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport partially satisfied the appeals of athletes from these countries against the exclusion from international competitions. As a result, Paralympians were allowed to participate in competitions under national symbols.
It should be noted that the Polish television company Telewizja Polska announced the interruption of the broadcast of the Paralympic Games when Russian or Belarusian athletes appear on screen.