Uk, france join boycott of paralympic opening ceremony

London and Paris have joined the boycott of the Paralympic opening ceremony in Italy, following the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.

Uk and france lead diplomatic protest

Both governments announced on Thursday, just 24 hours before the event in Verona, that they would not attend the opening and closing ceremonies. 'We strongly condemn the IPC's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games 2026 in Milan-Cortina under their own flags,' a UK government spokesperson said. As a result, no ministers from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet or officials will participate in the festivities.

France also confirmed it would not send ministers or officials to the opening in Verona, which due to venue constraints can only accommodate two athletes and officials per nation. Ukrainian athletes are leading the boycott, not attending the opening ceremony, while athletes from Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are also skipping the event in protest.

Germany opted not to send any competitors or officials, with its flagbearers Anna-Lena Forster and Jörg Wedde only appearing in pre-recorded segments at various venues on Tuesday.