IPC Lifts Russia-Belarus
Munich/Seoul
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Saturday announced the lifting of partial suspensions imposed on the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus, a move that may allow their athletes to compete under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games in 2026.
The decision was taken during the IPC’s General Assembly in Seoul, where member organisations voted against continuing the sanctions that had been in place since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The suspension initially barred both countries from the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics and later restricted their athletes to neutral participation at the Paris 2024 Games.
However, the ruling does not automatically guarantee full access. Athletes from both nations must hold valid licenses from their respective international federations, which currently maintain bans in six sports—para alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding, para biathlon, para ice hockey, and wheelchair curling. Only after these restrictions are lifted will Russian and Belarusian competitors be cleared to participate.
The IPC’s announcement closely follows a similar step by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which earlier this month permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics under a neutral flag and strict neutrality rules.
Supporters of the decision argue that it restores fairness to sport by separating politics from athletic performance. Critics, however, warn that lifting sanctions risks undermining solidarity with Ukraine at a time when the conflict shows no signs of resolution. With this decision, the IPC has effectively reopened the door for two of the Paralympic movement’s significant delegations, though the path ahead remains dependent on global sports federations and geopolitical developments.