Milan ¨C Olympic host Italy called on Thursday for a reversal of the decision to let 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes compete with their national flags and anthems at ?next month¡¯s Paralympic Games.

Foreign Minister Antonio?Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi urged the ?International Paralympic ?Committee to reconsider its stance due to Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine, ?saying it contradicted the Olympic spirit.

The Italian government expressed its ¡°absolute opposition¡± to the IPC¡¯s ruling in September, they said in a statement late on Wednesday, adding that Rome¡¯s stance echoed ?that of 33 other countries and the European Commission.

¡°Russia¡¯s continued violation of the truce and Olympic ?and Paralympic ideals, supported by Belarus, is incompatible with the participation of their athletes in the Games, except as neutral individual athletes,¡± the statement said.

An IPC ?spokesman said later the organization was ?in talks with the Italian government over the participation of the Russian and Belarusian Paralympians.

Russia¡¯s embassy in ?Italy said it ?was unacceptable to target athletes with disabilities.

¡°The harsh and undiplomatic ?stance taken by the two Italian politicians, backed by the authority of the ?government they ?represent, is offensive and deserves widespread condemnation,¡± it said on Telegram.

Russia and its ally Belarus, which was used as a staging area for attacking Ukraine, were banned from Paralympic competitions after the 2022 invasion but regained full rights in the IPC ?in a vote by members last year.

International federations for each sport on the Paralympic Games program had said they would maintain bans on athletes from those countries, but Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in December against the International Ski ?and ?Snowboard Federation. A limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes are ?competing as neutral independents without flags or anthems at the ongoing Winter Games with Olympic Committees ?of both nations still sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

An Italian ministerial source denied a report in newspaper La Repubblica suggesting that Tajani might move to block visas for Russians.

¡°The Italian authorities would not take any action to block visas for athletes ?or their entourage if their participation was confirmed,¡± the source said.

Ukraine¡¯s sports minister said on Wednesday that Ukrainian officials would boycott the Paralympics over the participation of the Russians and Belarusians, although its athletes would still take part.

The Winter Paralympics run from March?6 to 15.