'Dirty decision': Zelenskyy reacts to return of Russian flag at Paralympics
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
The decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete again at the Paralympics under their national flags is dirty and disrespectful, said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.
Read also: Ukrainian skeleton racer Heraskevych disqualified at Olympics over memorial helmet
"I don't want to say that it's about money, because I don't know. But it's a dirty decision, absolutely, not respectable, and not European – from the point of values," Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine will respond to such an "awful decision" by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
He compared the current situation to a "Russian way of life," saying the enemy had carried out a "creeping occupation."
"Crimea – nobody answered, nobody gave a kick? Okay. Donbas – nobody's answering, nobody's putting sanctions? Okay. Full-scale invasion. Step by step, the Russian way of life. The same with Olympic Games," the President emphasized.
Controversial decision on Russia and Belarus
Earlier, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) officially granted ten athletes from Russia and Belarus the right to compete at the 2026 Paralympics under their national flags.
Under the decision, six Russian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing, while four representatives from Belarus will compete exclusively in cross-country skiing.
The key feature of this decision is the return of national symbols: for the first time since 2014, Russian Paralympians will compete under their national flag. The decision effectively lifts previous restrictions.
