Finland's Paralympic Committee declared on Tuesday that Finland will not attend the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics in Verona, scheduled for next Saturday. This decision comes as part of a growing movement against Russian involvement in international sports following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. In addition to Finland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland have joined in boycotting the event at Ukraine’s request, underscoring a strong unified stance among these nations as they navigate the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Russian officials, including Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, responded to the boycotts with sarcasm, suggesting that the air would be "cleaner" in Verona without the participating nations. This comment highlights the tense diplomatic relations and the ongoing confrontation between Russia and nations opposing its actions in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags for the first time since the war began, granting them personal bipartite athlete spots, commonly known as wild cards, to enter the Paralympics.

Despite these developments, representatives from Russia and Belarus will not see participation without the wild card privileges, as their athletes missed qualifying events in cross-country skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, and snowboarding. This situation illustrates the complexities and controversies surrounding sports in the context of international politics, as athletes and nations navigate the repercussions of geopolitical conflicts on athletic competition.