By allowing Russian hockey to return, CAS stains the ice with Ukrainian blood — Sybiha
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga responded to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowing Russian national teams to participate in a number of competitions in 2026–2027.
He wrote about this on social media platform X, according to Censor.NET.
A Shameful Decision
By allowing Russian hockey to return, the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) is staining itself with Ukrainian blood. Russia has not stopped its war. It has not stopped killing Ukrainians. It has not stopped its relentless attacks on our cities. "So what exactly has changed to justify the return of its national hockey teams to international competition?" Sibiga asked.
He emphasized that the CAS decision to legitimize Russia’s participation in world championships under the auspices of @IIHFHockey is unacceptable. Russian national teams represent a country that is still waging a war of aggression. Allowing them to return now would mean granting Moscow the international legitimacy it so desperately seeks.
"I urge the international sports community and all our partners to take a firm stance against Russia's return to international competitions. There can be no 'business as usual' as long as Russia is waging war against Ukraine," the minister said.
In addition, according to Sibiga, this shameful decision must be overturned.
"I also call on the governments of countries that have not lost their moral compass to ban Russian athletes from entering their territory. The war that Russia is waging must have consequences—including in the realm of international sports," he added.
What led up to it
As a reminder, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) previously upheld one of the appeals filed by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow the Russian national teams to participate in a number of competitions in 2026–2027.
