Glenn Micallef, the EU’s sports commissioner, described the decision to allow the athletes to fly the Russian and Belarusian flags as “unacceptable.”
In a post on X, Micallef said: “While Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues, I cannot support the reinstatement of national symbols, flags, anthems and uniforms, that are inseparable from that conflict.” He added that he would not be attending the opening ceremony and encouraged “likeminded counterparts” to do the same.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said on X that the IPC’s move was “disappointing and outrageous.”