Trump Official Backs Russia’s Return to Global Sports

Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy for President Trump, endorsed Russia’s participation at next month’s Paralympics, saying in a text message, “I think sport is for all.” The announcement was met with dismay in European capitals. His comments conflicted with those of European leaders and with Ukraine, which said its team would boycott the competition’s opening ceremony; Italy expressed “its absolute opposition to the International Paralympic Committee’s decision.” The I.P.C.

said six Russian athletes and four from Belarus had been awarded the equivalent of wild card entries for skiing and snowboarding, marking Russia’s first Paralympic participation since Sochi in 2014. Pressure has been growing to end Russia’s exclusion despite past sanctions over a state-backed doping program and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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