The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has set the global sporting world abuzz with its landmark decision to lift the partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus, a move that has reignited fierce debate just months ahead of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The decision, reached on September 27, 2025, at the IPC’s general assembly in Seoul, South Korea, marks a pivotal shift in the international sports landscape and carries profound implications for athletes, federations, and the broader Paralympic movement.
For nearly three years, Russia and Belarus had been sidelined from international Paralympic competition, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IPC’s initial response was swift and severe, imposing suspensions that barred both nations from fielding teams at the world’s premier para-sport events. Athletes from these countries, however, found a lifeline: they were permitted to compete as neutrals under strict conditions—a policy that allowed them to participate at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, albeit without the honor of representing their national flags.
But the tide turned dramatically in Seoul. IPC member organizations, representing the global para-sport community, voted decisively against maintaining either full or partial suspensions. The motion to fully suspend Russia failed by a margin of 111 to 55, with 11 abstentions, while the vote on partial suspension was defeated 91 to 77 with eight abstentions. Belarus faced similar outcomes: 119 to 48 against full suspension, and 103 to 63 against a partial ban. These results restored the full rights and privileges of IPC membership to the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of both Russia and Belarus.
The IPC, in a statement, clarified the immediate impact: “This decision means NPC Belarus and NPC Russia now regain their full rights and privileges of IPC membership, in accordance with the IPC Constitution. The IPC will work with the two members involved to put practical arrangements in place for this as soon as reasonably possible.” The Russian Paralympic Committee quickly hailed the outcome, calling it “a fair decision” and “an important contribution to the development of the international Paralympic movement and an example that the rights of athletes must be protected without discrimination on national and political grounds.”
Yet, the practical path to full participation remains complex. While the IPC has cleared the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, the final say rests with the international federations that govern each of the six sports on the Milan-Cortina program—para alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding, para biathlon, para ice hockey, and wheelchair curling. As of now, these federations have yet to lift their own bans, which means Russian and Belarusian athletes still face significant hurdles before they can officially represent their countries on the world stage.
Marie-Amelie Le Fur, president of the French Paralympic Committee, highlighted the uncertainty: “We must wait for the positions of the international federations and how the final selection process unfolds.” Each athlete must also hold an active license for the 2025/26 season from their respective federations, adding another layer of complexity to the reinstatement process. For para swimming, however, the IPC itself is the governing body, potentially easing the return for Russian and Belarusian swimmers.
Reactions to the decision have been deeply polarized. Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, issued a scathing critique on social media, declaring, “We call on our European partners, who will host the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games, not to allow the flag of the aggressor state to be raised over the free and democratic space while the war of aggression continues.” He further accused those who voted for reinstatement of betraying “their conscience and the Olympic values.” The Ukrainian government faces legal and ethical constraints, with state broadcaster Suspilne noting that “in Ukraine, it is legally prohibited to delegate national teams to competitions where aggressor countries are represented without observing the principles of neutrality, under state symbols.”
The United Kingdom also voiced strong disappointment. A government spokesperson stated, “Our unequivocal position remains that there should be no Russian or Belarusian state representation in international sport while the war against Ukraine continues given the breaches of the Olympic Charter. We will assess the implications of today’s vote, and urge the IPC to consider the message it sends.” ParalympicsGB, while expressing respect for the IPC membership’s decision, reiterated its solidarity with Ukraine and its friends at NPC Ukraine.
The IPC’s rationale for lifting the ban appears rooted in the core values of the Paralympic movement. Many member countries argued that the spirit of inclusion should prevail, especially since Russian and Belarusian para-athletes had already been excluded from competing under their own flags since Sochi 2014. The IPC also noted that its original suspension was not solely due to the invasion of Ukraine, but rather because Russia had used sporting events to promote the war—an act deemed contrary to the IPC’s constitution.
The historical backdrop is rich and fraught. Russian athletes have not competed under their national flag at the Paralympic Games since the 2014 Sochi edition. A doping scandal led to Russia’s suspension in 2016, and subsequent Games saw Russian participation only under neutral banners. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics excluded both Russia and Belarus entirely. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, the Neutral Paralympic Athletes committee—composed largely of Russian and Belarusian athletes—won 16 golds, 14 silvers, and 11 bronzes in para swimming, a tally that would have placed them third in the medal standings if counted officially. Meanwhile, Ukraine, a powerhouse in para swimming, finished fifth in Paris with eight golds, 15 silvers, and 17 bronzes, despite the severe impact of war on its sporting infrastructure and athlete base.
The IPC’s decision comes on the heels of a similar move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which recently confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics as individual neutral athletes under the French acronym AIN, mirroring the approach taken at the Paris Games last year. The size and makeup of national delegations for Milan-Cortina will ultimately depend on the qualification processes overseen by each sport’s international governing body, several of which currently continue to enforce bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Adding to the day’s drama, the IPC assembly also re-elected Andrew Parsons as president for a third and final four-year term. Parsons, who secured 109 of 177 votes, will oversee the implementation of these contentious decisions as the world’s attention turns to Italy for the upcoming Games.
As the dust settles, the IPC’s move has clearly reshaped the sporting and political landscape ahead of Milan-Cortina 2026. With practical arrangements still to be hammered out and international federations holding the keys to final athlete eligibility, the full impact of this decision will only become clear in the coming months. For now, the door is open—but the path remains anything but straightforward.
