Ukrainian and Czech Paralympic athletes will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics on March 6th in Verona, protesting the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags. This decision marks an end to the ban imposed on Russia and Belarus since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Paralympic Committee called the IPC's decision "scandalous" and "cynical," noting that Russia and Belarus did not follow the standard qualification process. While Ukraine will not boycott the sporting events themselves, their president stated that participating is crucial to prevent Russia from claiming a victory over Ukrainian athletes. The IPC defended its decision as a result of a "democratic" vote, though some suggest other countries' non-attendance at the ceremony is due to logistical reasons rather than a political boycott.