Sawt Falasteen - Ukraine says 'outrageous' to allow Russian Paralympians to compete under own flag

Six Russians and four Belarusians will be allowed to take part under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Paralympics rather than as neutral athletes, the Games' governing body confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.

"The decision by the @Paralympics organisers to allow killers and their accomplices to compete at the Paralympic Games under national flags is both disappointing and outrageous," Ukraine's sports minister Matviy Bidny wrote on social media.

Russian and Belarusian flags "have no place at international sporting events that stand for fairness, integrity, and respect. These are the flags of regimes that have turned sport into a tool of war, lies, and contempt," Bidny added.

He said that in Russia, "Paralympic sport has been made a pillar for those whom (Russian President Vladimir) Putin sent to Ukraine to kill -- and who returned from Ukraine with injuries and disabilities."

Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, told AFP on Tuesday he was "very, very angry and outraged" by the decision.

However, he ruled out boycotting the Games in which Ukraine traditionally performs strongly -- it came second in the medals table four years ago in Beijing.

"If we do not go, it would mean allowing Putin to claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine by excluding us from the Games," said the 71-year-old.

"That will not happen!"

The European Union's Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, called the decision "unacceptable" and said he would boycott the opening ceremony.

"This is unacceptable. While Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the reinstatement of national symbols, flags, anthems and uniforms, that are inseparable from that conflict," the 36-year-old Maltese posted on X.

"For this reason, I will not attend the @Paralympics Opening Ceremony."

Russia was awarded two slots in alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing and two in snowboarding. The four Belarusian slots are all in cross-country skiing.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said earlier those athletes would be "treated like (those from) any other country".

The IPC unexpectedly lifted its suspension on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the organisation's general assembly in September.

The partial suspension -- introduced in 2023 to replace the full ban imposed after Russia's invasion in 2022 -- allowed athletes to compete only as neutrals.

The Winter Paralympics take place in northern Italy after the Winter Olympics, on March 6-15.

Y.AlMasri--SF-PST