Russia and Belarus Have Been Banned From Displaying National Symbols at the Winter EYOF
Russian and Belarusian athletes who qualify for the 2027 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival will not be able to compete under their countries’ flags. Instead of their national symbols, they will use the flag of the European Olympic Committees, and government officials from Russia and Belarus will not be invited to the competition.
The Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) has banned the use of Russian and Belarusian flags and national anthems at the 2027 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival. The competition is scheduled to take place in the Romanian city of Brașov. Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidny, announced the decision. According to him, the Ukrainian side succeeded in upholding its position on banning Russian and Belarusian state symbols at the international sporting event. “We have successfully upheld our principled stance on banning Russian and Belarusian state symbols at the 2027 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Brașov,” Bidnyi stated.
The restrictions stipulate that athletes from Russia and Belarus who qualify will be able to participate in the competitions only under the flag of the European Olympic Committees. The national anthems of these countries will also not be played. In addition, representatives of the Russian and Belarusian governments will not be invited to the festival.
Russia Threatens Legal Action
According to Matviy Bidny, the decision was the result of joint efforts by Ukraine and its European partners. The minister emphasized that Ukraine will continue to advocate for maintaining restrictions on the participation of Russian representatives in international sports. At the same time, as Bidny reported, Russian Sports Minister and head of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev is already threatening legal action over the ban on Russian state symbols.
The Ukrainian minister believes that Moscow is attempting to use athletes’ rights as an argument for the return of its national flag, state symbols, and international recognition. “Under the pretext of protecting athletes’ rights, Russia is seeking the return of its flag, state symbols, and international recognition. For the Kremlin, sports remain a tool of state propaganda and the legitimization of aggression,” Bidnyi emphasized.
The minister also thanked European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef for his support of Ukraine. In addition, he called on the international sports community to maintain a principled stance regarding the use of Russian and Belarusian state symbols.
When Will the Festival Take Place?
The 2027 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival is scheduled to take place in Brașov, Romania. It brings together young athletes from various European countries who compete in winter sports. At the same time, Matviy Bidny’s statement also mentions the 2027 European Games. This is a separate sporting event scheduled for June 16–27, 2027, in Istanbul, Turkey.
At the European Games, athletes will be able to compete for direct qualifying spots for the 2028 Olympic Games. An additional qualification pathway is provided through the Olympic ranking system. Therefore, the decision regarding flags and national anthems specifically concerns the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Brașov. Ukraine continues to insist that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions not be accompanied by the use of these countries’ national symbols. This was announced by Matvii Bidnyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Youth and Sports.
