Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov today argued against making sport “a victim of politics” by those who seek to isolate Russia from the global geopolitical map.
“We believe that, in general, sport should never be a victim of politics. Sport must be free of politics,” the Kremlin spokesman reaffirmed to the press.
The statement by the head of the Presidential Communications Service of the Eurasian giant comes in response to the refusal of Ukrainian officials to attend the Paralympic Games, after the International Paralympic Committee allowed Russian and Belarusian para-athletes to participate in the competitions under their national flags.
In this regard, Peskov condemned the statements by the representatives of Kyiv and emphasized that Moscow advocates for the right of all athletes to participate without restrictions in international competitions under their national flags, “especially in the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” he stated.
“This is a sporting competition, not a political race,” the spokesman affirmed.
Earlier this week, the president of the Russian Paralympic Committee, Pavel Rozhkov, announced that six athletes from the Slavic nation had received bilateral invitations to participate in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.
In total, the delegation from the Eurasian giant will consist of 23 people, according to Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev.
The president of the National Olympic Committee also specified the day before that the athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding.
This marks the first time since 2014 that Russian athletes will participate under their flag and with their anthem at the Paralympic Games.
The 2026 Paralympic Games will be held from March 6 to 15 in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
