Russian leadership's influence on International Paralympic Committee much greater than on IOC – Sushkevych

Valeriy Sushkevych, President of the National Committee for Sports for the Disabled of Ukraine, believes that the influence of the Russian leadership on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is much greater than on the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"Until last week, there shouldn't have been anyone, not even neutrals. But the International Arbitration Court in Lausanne ruled to allow Russian Paralympic athletes to participate in qualifying competitions for the Milan and Cortina Paralympics. This document is very recent. I haven't yet figured out what status they'll be allowed in—neutral or full," Sushkevych said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2026 Paralympics in Italy as neutrals.

At the same time, he emphasized that the International Paralympic Committee General Assembly made its decision under the influence of the Russian president.

"This decision was simply appalling, and it contradicts both the IPC Constitution and common sense. But it was made, and today it remains a problematic factor related to Paralympic sport. I can tell you that, in my opinion, despite my criticism of similar decisions regarding neutral Olympic Committee athletes, the influence of the Russian leadership on the International Paralympic Committee is far greater. I don't want to comment on all my suspicions regarding this influence, but it is objectively there," he added.

He also noted that although the General Assembly is a collegial body, voting is secret, making it impossible to determine who voted how.

"But judging by the number of African, Asian, and Latin American countries, the voting balance is clear. And the Russian head of the Paralympic Committee openly stated that the Russian president influenced the decisions of the delegates from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. So, unfortunately, the factor associated with the dominance of the votes is obvious here," Sushkevych noted.

As reported, in September, the International Paralympic Committee fully reinstated the membership of Russia and Belarus. Specifically, at the IPC General Assembly in Seoul, member organizations voted not to extend the partial suspension of the National Paralympic Committees of Belarus and Russia.

In October, the IPC announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes were not allowed to compete in the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy.

In November, ministers and senior officials responsible for sport in more than 30 partner countries issued a joint statement regarding the IPC's September 27 decision to lift the partial suspensions of the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus. Specifically, they called on the IPC to provide further clarification regarding the implications of this decision for future Paralympic competitions, particularly in the Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia.

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) will be held from March 6 to March 15 and will cover six different disciplines: biathlon, ice hockey, alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and curling.