The European Commission will boycott the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina in protest at the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to fly their national flags.
Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Sports, considered the move of the International Paralympic Committee "unacceptable" and announced that he will not participate in the March 6 ceremony in Verona.
"As long as Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the restoration of national emblems, flags, anthems and uniforms, which are inseparable from this conflict," he stated.
The Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine also informed that the reserve team of the Russian Paralympic team includes participants of the war against Ukraine.
