Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi urged the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider its stance due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying it contradicted the Olympic spirit. An IPC spokesman said later the organisation was in talks with the Italian government over the participation of the Russian and Belarusian paralympians. WINTER PARALYMPICS START ON MARCH 6Russia's embassy in Italy said it was unacceptable to target athletes with disabilities. An Italian ministerial source denied a report in newspaper La Repubblica suggesting that Tajani might move to block visas for Russians. "The Italian authorities would not take any action to block visas for athletes or their entourage if their participation was confirmed," the source said.

Source: Washington Post February 19, 2026 15:10 UTC