Rome, 18 February (LaPresse) – "Allowing the flags of aggressor states to be raised at the Paralympic Games while Russia's war against Ukraine rages is wrong, morally and politically. Sport must be synonymous with fairness, dignity and respect. It cannot become a stage for regimes that trample on these very values. I have instructed Ukrainian ambassadors to engage with officials from the host countries and urge them not to participate in the opening ceremony if this shameful decision is not reversed." This was written on X by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. ‘Ukraine will continue to defend justice and dignity, as well as protect the integrity of international sport from exploitation by aggressor states,’ he added.