The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) president Johan Eliasch said allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Paralympics 'has not been easy.' Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding at the Milan-Cortina Games starting March 6.

In September, the International Paralympic Committee lifted its ban on athletes from the two countries competing at the Games. Despite individual sports bodies refusing to lift their own bans, Russia and Belarus won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIS. Athletes have returned to FIS competitions and received bipartite commission invitations to compete at the Paralympics.

The decision drew sharp criticism from Ukraine's sports minister Matvii Bidnyi, who called it 'both disappointing and outrageous.' The British government and British Paralympic Association also opposed the move, maintaining that the ban should have remained in place given the ongoing war in Ukraine.