Germany may withdraw from hosting Ice Hockey World Championship over Russia’s admission — Euronews
Germany is considering withdrawing from hosting the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship, scheduled for May. The reason is a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which obliged the International Ice Hockey Federation to allow Russian national teams of all age categories to return to international competitions, Euronews reports.
On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a four-year ban on the participation of national teams of the Russian Federation — an aggressor state — in international ice hockey tournaments. The IIHF said it disagreed with the verdict but would comply with it. The federation’s executive body began a two-day meeting dedicated to this decision.
Position of the German federation
Frank H. Lutz, president of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), said the court’s verdict fundamentally changes the situation for the tournament’s host country. According to him, the federation does not support the return of Russian teams to international ice hockey and is analyzing the decision jointly with the IIHF.
Lutz noted that Russia’s participation would have serious consequences for Germany in the areas of security, politics, and the economy. The DEB is expected to announce further steps later.
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Boycott and sponsors’ reaction
Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Denmark, and Sweden have announced that they will not play against Russia at the 2027 World Championship. Austria is also considering joining this position. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association stated that it would not play matches against Russia until it ends its full-scale war against Ukraine.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said she intended to discuss with her EU colleagues restrictions on Russian athletes entering the entire Schengen area. Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar stressed that the CAS decision does not oblige the Czech Republic to issue visas to Russian citizens, as the ban on short-term visas for them remains in force.
Two championship sponsors also said they were prepared to withdraw support for the tournament if Russia participates. Swedish company AJ Products said it would ask for its logo not to be displayed, while Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres said continuing sponsorship under such conditions would contradict its values.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said there were no grounds for Russia’s return to international sport while the war continues. The European Commission, for its part, stressed that sports federations and EU member states must comply with the Union’s sanctions and restrictive measures.
