Sibyga called for a boycott of Russia's participation in the Ice Hockey World Championship

International sports officials who bring Russians back into competition become accomplices to their war crimes. This also applies to the International Ice Hockey Federation.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy sharply condemned the decision to include Russia in the updated schedule of the world junior championship 2027 year instead of Norway. He stressed that this raises serious concern about the possible influence of Moscow. 'Norwegian players earned their place on merit. Depriving them of this spot for the sake of a country that is waging an aggressive war is a disgrace to the entire sporting community,' said Sibiga. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls for canceling the International Ice Hockey Federation's shameful decision and fully supports the Norwegian side. 'We call for a boycott of Russia's participation in the championship and insist on halting international funding of the federation for this shameful decision. A leader should not become a platform for Russia to break the ice with the civilized world,' the minister emphasized. He added that sport should never be used to legitimize an aggressor, and Russia must remain outside the competitions while its war against Ukraine continues.

As a reminder, decisions on admitting Russian athletes and teams to international competitions provoke sharp criticism and anger in Ukraine. In particular, previously, Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga stated that CAS's decision regarding Russian hockey would stain the ice with Ukrainian blood, since admitting Russians effectively legitimizes Russia's aggression. At the same time, against this backdrop, the International Hockey Federation is making decisions regarding other aggressor teams, for example, Belarus was not admitted to the World Championship in hockey 2027 year, with its national teams barred from participating in tournaments.