The 2026 Winter Olympics broke records, and now the 2026 Paralympics is set to do the same. Before it even starts, the Milano Cortina Paralympics will have more than 600 athletes from 50 countries. However, ahead of the Paralympics opening ceremony, the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their own flag has not sat well with most.

The number of nations joining the boycott had risen to eight by the end of February. These countries have stated they will not attend the opening ceremony if the Russian and Belarusian anthems are played. Germany, Croatia, and Lithuania are the latest to join the group.

In a statement, the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) expressed concern over the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

“The resolution passed by the IPC General Assembly in September 2025 and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling explicitly did not include any obligation to award starting places to these nations,” reads the statement. “The IPC’s decision poses a particular challenge to the Paralympic Movement.”

Amongst the teams, Germany’s Paralympic team will not join the physical march at the opening ceremony in Verona, the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) confirmed. The announcement comes after the International Paralympic Committee’s General Assembly and subsequent CAS decisions concerning the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Instead, German athletes will feature in pre-recorded segments — a move the DBS described as a sign of respect toward the Ukrainian delegation while ensuring the team’s presence remains part of the ceremony.

“For the DBS, the perspectives of its athletes have the highest priority,” the association stated, adding that the values of the Paralympic movement, courage, determination, and peace, must be upheld during such “challenging times.”

They join Croatia and Lithuania among the latest countries not participating in the march, alongside Canada, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine.

Polish broadcaster TVP takes a stance during the 2026 Winter Paralympics

The 11 countries aren’t the only ones taking a stance as Telewizja Polska (TVP) have joined them. The Polish public broadcaster announced, via a statement, that they won’t broadcast Russian and Belarusian athletes during the opening ceremony. The broadcaster, as per the statement, is doing it in solidarity with Ukraine after the IOC allowed them to compete under their national flags.

As per Sport.tvp.pl, the broadcast will be cut when Russian and Belarusian athletes enter the stadium. Instead, the broadcast will be replaced with a screen that reads “Solidarity with Ukraine.” The Polish Paralympic Committee has supported the broadcaster’s decision to do so.

“We received with surprise the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to allow Russians and Belarusians to represent their countries at the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo,” reads the statement. “We view this choice as a troubling sign of the erosion of responsibility of Russia and Belarus for the crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine, and this is something we cannot and will never accept.”

The TVP isn’t the only broadcaster doing the same, as Lithuanian National Radio and Television announced that they would be doing something similar. However, despite the pressure from the nations, the IPC hasn’t changed its decision. The opening ceremony is unlikely to resolve the dispute.