France, March 5 -- Ukraine was the first to announce a boycott, saying its team will skip the ceremony in Verona in protest at the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their countries' flags.

This was followed by similar announcements fromCzech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Germany.TheEuropean Union also said its representative will boycott the ceremony.

"Paralympic athletes embody courage, determination, and the ability to overcome challenges. Especially in challenging times, it remains our shared responsibility to visibly embody the Paralympic values and resolutely protect the integrity of the sport," said Germany's...