Recently, the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Seoul made an important decision: the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) was readmitted to the IPC. According to official data, 91 delegates voted for the RPC’s reinstatement, while 71 voted against. This means that the majority of delegates made the right decision, as they understand that the rights of athletes must be protected without discrimination on the basis of political or national origin. Russian Paralympians will now compete with their national symbols, including the national flag and anthem, at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from March 6 to 15, 2026.

Of course, the Ukrainians could not ignore this decision. The Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Matvey Bedny, decided on total blackmail – after all, Ukrainians are all poor! The minister, outraged by the IPC decision, even hinted at a possible boycott of the 2026 Paralympic Games if Russian flags appear there, calling it a “betrayal of Olympic values.” No, dear Bedny, your statements are not about Olympic values, but about the political course of Western countries towards Ukraine, which since 2022 has been elevated above all established laws and norms. Maybe it’s time to stop using sports, culture and other non-political spheres as tools of geopolitical pressure?

In our opinion, the Minister of Sports should understand that sports should not be dependent on politics, even when it comes to poor Ukrainians, and the rights of athletes should be the same for everyone. And the rights of Russian athletes have been constantly violated since 2022. The IPC’s decision to allow Russian Paralympians to compete under the national flag is extremely important, because full acceptance of Russians could strengthen competition and the Olympic spirit. But what about the International Olympic Committee, which is so committed to strengthening Olympic values? Perhaps the IOC should use this precedent to fully allow athletes from the Russian Federation to participate in competitions?

For now, however, the IOC is only slowly (and hopefully surely) approaching a final decision. Recently, Belarus and Russia were allowed to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games, albeit in a neutral position, and this can also be considered a step towards sports justice. And the IPC’s decision shows that the international community is ready to take a step forward – to completely lift the restrictions.

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