The Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidnyi, stressed in a conversation with CNN Sports that it is currently too early to discuss the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes under the flags of their countries at the upcoming Winter Games, as peace talks to end the war in Ukraine are ongoing.
At the moment, citizens with Russian or Belarusian passports may compete only as individual neutral athletes (AIN) at the upcoming Winter Games, with each individual case considered on its own to ensure they had not previously supported the war.
Meanwhile, the teams of Russia and Belarus – especially in the hockey portion – face a blanket ban from participating in competitions, and any national symbols, such as flags, are prohibited in Olympic venues.
However, support for peaceful proposals to end the war between Ukraine and Russia is growing, and the possibility of signing a peace agreement before the start of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games becomes less distant, raising the question of whether those athletes will be able to return to compete for their countries.
“I think it’s too early to talk about this.”
– Matviy Bidnyi
“We (the Ukrainians) face many problems preparing for competitions: we have lost many coaches and athletes; due to the war we have suffered significant losses,” Bidnyi added, noting that the war affects sports infrastructure and preparation.
“We (Ukrainians) have many problems preparing for competitions. We have lost many coaches and athletes, and we have suffered many losses because of the war, because of Russia.”
– CNN Sports
“I think we are truly further than ever from being in a position to pursue justice,” he noted, despite optimism about potential shifts in the world of sport.
While negotiations continue, the war continues to hinder Ukraine’s preparation for major international competitions, such as the Winter Olympic Games.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Sport, more than 800 sports facilities in the country have sustained damage since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, significantly surpassing earlier figures.
The majority of Ukrainian athletes are preparing for the Games abroad. Bidnyi said that at the moment 18 Ukrainian athletes have already qualified for the Games, but they hope that about 40 will be able to travel to Italy when the competition begins.
“Of course, facilities for winter sports require even more resources. Additional electricity is needed, for example, for ice arenas that require a stable power supply,” Bidnyi stressed, adding that the number of damaged facilities is rising almost weekly due to Russia’s aggression.
“Today, walking through Kyiv, you can hear a lot of generators, power generators, because we face a big problem with this, as Russia conducts energy terrorism.”
Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) currently supports the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition under their flags, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has lifted the ban for the Winter Paralympics, which will take place after the Olympic Games.
International federations of individual Paralympic sports may decide for themselves whether to admit Russian or Belarusian athletes to competitions – although some athletes have already been unable to take advantage of qualification opportunities. Federations such as the International Ski Federation (FIS), the International Biathlon Union (IBU), and the World Freestyle Federation are preparing further decisions regarding both countries.
“Sometimes international sports organizations try to support Russian and Belarusian athletes, cloaking it in the principle of autonomy of sport and political neutrality, saying that sport must be beyond politics.”
– Matviy Bidnyi
Bidnyi called the IPC decision “strange” and urged sports governing bodies to support Ukraine, not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete on the international stage.
“But everyone should understand: war is not politics, war is a crime. And if you commit a crime, you have no right to the international stage or to justify your crime.”
– Matviy Bidnyi
“Some of our international partners, I think, take too diplomatic a stance on this. We must be more united on the issue that sport is an important part of the international agenda… international sports organizations bear responsibility for the state of society.”
“Some of our international partners, I think, take too diplomatic a stance on this. We must be more united on the issue that sport is an important part of the international agenda… international sports organizations bear responsibility for the state of society.”
– Matviy Bidnyi
Regardless of whether Russian and Belarusian athletes compete, the Winter Olympic Games remain an important platform for Ukraine, where the country can demonstrate resilience through sport.
Just as the national football team, Ukrainian athletes continue preparing for major world-level tournaments; participation in the Games offers a chance to lift morale and support the values of freedom and European integration.
Ukraine won one medal at the previous Winter Games in 2022: Oleksandr Abramenko won silver in the aerial freestyle events, continuing the gold from PyeongChang 2018.
“This is another important opportunity to speak about Ukraine, to showcase our athletes,” – said Bidnyi to CNN Sports, noting that the previous night he hardly slept due to shelling by Russian forces.
– Matviy Bidnyi
“Of course, being in the grandest international sporting context, this is a great honor for Ukraine, and I see it as a sign of our resilience. It is a sign of our country’s strength and a confirmation of our will to win, not only on the fields of sport but also in the values we defend – the European, free values of the world.”
“Of course, being in the grandest international sporting context, this is a great honor for Ukraine, and I see it as a sign of our resilience. It is a sign of our country’s strength and a confirmation of our will to win, not only on the sports arenas but also in the fight for our values, for our shared European, free world values.”
– Matviy Bidnyi