On Thursday, 12 February, the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia adopted a decision on support to the Ukrainian athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics commemorating their fellow athletes killed in the war to defend Ukraine.

The members of the Saeima expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its athletes, and voiced concern over the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the ban against Ukrainian athletes wearing race helmets demonstrating symbolic support to the people of Ukraine.

The Saeima has condemned the actions by the International Olympic Committee and its President Kirsty Coventry in likening the commemoration of the casualties of the war to defend Ukraine to war propaganda.

Furthermore, the Saeima urged the International Olympic Committee and its leadership to ensure genuine political neutrality at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games by banning the participation of representatives of the aggressor states—Russia and Belarus.

Honouring the heroic resistance of the people of Ukraine against Russia’s full-scale military aggression, the Saeima emphasised that Russia’s unprovoked full-scale aggression in Ukraine is the bloodiest war continental Europe has seen since the end of World War II.

“Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”, the decision adopted by the Saeima concludes.

Saeima Press Service