The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has prohibited the Ukrainian team from participating in the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Italy while wearing uniforms featuring a map of Ukraine, as announced by Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine. He emphasized that the IPC considers the uniform design, which includes a map of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders—including all temporarily occupied territories—political in nature.
Sushkevych noted that the uniform represents Ukraine’s existence and integrity on the world stage, asserting that it is beautiful, symbolic, and clearly communicates the country’s boundaries free from Russian occupation. The design was created by Ukrainian designer Viktor Anisimov, who also designed uniforms for the Ukrainian team for the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
In a broader context, ten countries, alongside Ukraine, have decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games scheduled for March 6 in Verona. This move is a protest against the participation of Russian athletes under their national flag. Additional delegations may also abstain from attending due to travel restrictions imposed following attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Countries that plan to skip the ceremony include the Czech Republic, Croatia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. Recently, Germany joined this list, as confirmed by Craig Spence, head of branding and communications at the IPC.
The Winter Paralympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina from March 5 to 16, with Ukraine being represented by a team of 35 athletes across four sports. Despite the challenges, the Ukrainian team’s spirit remains strong as they prepare to participate in the games.