Every day, I live with the pain and loss experienced by Ukrainian citizens due to the 2022 Russian invasion. As someone who firmly supports Ukraine and its citizens under attack, I believe it is essential that global sports platforms also reflect these values ​​of justice and peace.

We, the signatories of this petition, call on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to uphold the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games with the national flag and anthem. We also call on all National Paralympic Committees to request the same or, alternatively, to show solidarity with Ukraine and institutionally boycott official Paralympic Games events.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused unimaginable devastation, with over 13,000 civilians killed and millions missing. The documented atrocities demonstrate the need to take a firm stand against Russia's and Belarus's acts of aggression. Sport, as a powerful tool for unity and peace between nations, should never endorse the warlike actions and human rights violations perpetrated by these countries.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed that the Russian Paralympic Committee has been awarded six spots at the Games: two in Para Alpine Skiing (one man and one woman), two in Para Cross-Country Skiing (one man and one woman), and two in Para Snowboarding (both men). The Belarusian Paralympic Committee has all four spots in cross-country skiing (one man and three women). The international body for Paralympic sports has confirmed the decision taken by the Executive Board of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Seoul last September by majority vote, allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to Paralympic sports with their national anthem and flag. The Committee itself confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be "treated like any other country."

We consider this decision "disappointing and scandalous," as the Ukrainian authorities stated, because the IPC should promote fairness, integrity, and respect, whereas these "are the banners of regimes that have transformed sport into an instrument of war, lies, and contempt."

The core values ​​promoted by the Paralympic movement are courage, determination, inspiration, and equality. It certainly takes courage and determination to initiate an invasion of a sovereign state like Ukraine, but we are the exact opposite of equality and inspiration: it's certainly not a story that motivates us to give our all. We celebrate the Paralympic spirit of resilience and equality. However, we must not allow this platform to be used to promote symbols of nations that currently cause destruction and suffering around the world.

As civil society, we have a duty to maintain high moral pressure on Russia and Belarus; other institutions must maintain high economic and political pressure to ensure that these two countries stop attacking Ukraine, halt the bombing, and put an end to attacks on the front lines that cause only death and destruction.

On the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2022, we want to pressure the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating with their national flags and anthems at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games.

We also call on the IOC to maintain this same position for the next Olympic Games and not to take the same feared path of normalizing the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, as the suffering of the Ukrainian people has not ceased. We will ensure that the Paralympics remain a global symbol of peace and solidarity.

Sign this petition to support this important initiative and so that together we can contribute to a more just and peaceful world.