Finland's decision to boycott the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics on March 6 in Verona has been officially communicated by the Finnish Paralympic Committee. This decision comes in response to a request from Ukraine, driven by concerns over the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Games. Finland joins Estonia, Latvia, and Poland in this boycott, highlighting a unified stance among these countries in the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The boycott is specifically rooted in the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) controversial decision to grant individual bipartite athlete places, often referred to as 'wild cards,' to Russian and Belarusian athletes for the upcoming Paralympics. The allocation of these wild cards allows athletes who did not qualify through standard processes to participate in the Games based on recommendations from their country's Paralympic committees, a move that has faced significant backlash from nations that oppose Russia's actions in Ukraine.

As part of its commitment to this protest, the Finnish Paralympic Committee's statement elaborates on the implications of these wild card grants, which include six places for Russian athletes in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, as well as four spots for Belarusian athletes in cross-country skiing. The boycott underscores the ongoing debate regarding the inclusion of athletes from countries involved in conflicts and serves as a broader statement of solidarity with Ukraine during this challenging time.