Lithuanian PM strongly against Russian, Belarusian athletes' Paralympic participation

VILNIUS - Following the International Paralympic Committee's recent decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in this year's Paralympics in Milan and Cortina under their national flags, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene says she strongly disagrees with this decision but will still support the Lithuanian athlete at the games.

"I strongly disagree and fully support the position of the (Lithuanian Paralympic - BNS) committee. I think this is an unacceptable decision in this day and age. I am very pleased that the International Olympic Committee has nevertheless made different decisions," Ruginiene said on Wednesday.

"But at the same time, I cannot help but support our athlete, who has essentially gone through a very difficult journey to receive an invitation to these games," the prime minister added.

Earlier in the day, the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee slammed the IPC decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in this year's Paralympics in Milan and Cortina under their national flags.

The decision has also disappointed Lithuania's Education, Science and Sports Raminta Popoviene. However, she could not say what actions Lithuania plans to take.

As reported by BNS, six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under their own national flags at the 2026 Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, the Games' governing body confirmed to AFP on Tuesday.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) told AFP the athletes would be "treated like (those from) any other country".

Athletes from Russia and Belarus had been banned from competing under their own flags since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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.

Athletes from both nations have been permitted to accumulate ranking points since Russia and Belarus won an appeal against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in December.

Kyiv expressed outrage at the IOC's decision to lift the partial suspension of Russia and Belarus, stating that the organization had betrayed "its conscience and Olympic values."

This year's Paralympic Games will be held in Italy from March 6 to 15.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the ongoing Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina under a neutral flag, provided they meet strict conditions.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said that Russia had killed 650 athletes and coaches since the invasion began.