"CAS Ruling Does Not Erase the Reality of War": How Ukraine Opposes Russia's Return to the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship

Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidnyi, in a commentary for the Champion publication, detailed the multi-layered strategy Kyiv is building to counter the return of Russian national teams to international ice hockey competitions. According to him, the state supports boycotting matches against representatives of the aggressor state, engages international partners, and systematically gathers evidence of violations to submit to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). This was reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the minister's statement.

The Right to the Elite Division of the 2027 World Championship

Bidnyi emphasized that the Ukrainian national team must compete in the elite division at the 2027 World Championship, which the team reached on sporting merit. "Despite the ultra-difficult conditions and everyday life in a war, our athletes train systematically and should not be deprived of the right to represent Ukraine on the international arena. The Ukrainian national team earned its place in the elite division of the 2027 World Championship," the minister stated. He also explicitly stated that the Ukrainian team will not play against representatives of the aggressor state and urged other countries to join the boycott.

International Support for the Boycott

According to Bidnyi, a number of European countries have already officially announced their refusal to play matches against Russian teams. These include the Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, France, Norway, and Latvia. Austria, according to the minister, also opposes Russia's return and is holding consultations with European partners. Separately, Bidnyi noted the position of Canada, which is hosting the 2027 World Junior Championship and stated that it will not allow the Russian team into the tournament.

Legal and Diplomatic Mechanisms

The minister explained that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on the return of Russians to international sports "does not cancel the reality of war and does not deprive states of the right to protect their own security space." He clarified that Ukraine is in constant contact with partner governments: "Issuing visas and granting admission to the country's territory is the exclusive competence of national governments, which must take security risks into account." In addition, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is engaging Council of Europe mechanisms to respond to the decision on the return of Russians. Bidnyi reported that he raised this issue at a meeting with Council of Europe sports ministers and the organization's Secretary General, Alain Berset. According to him, Ukraine has secured principal support and is preparing a separate appeal regarding the legal justification of its position.

Gathering Evidence of "Sports Raiding"

A separate direction of counteraction, according to Bidnyi, is gathering evidence of violations by Russia. The minister stated that international federations must thoroughly check Russian athletes for involvement in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, public support for the war, and participation in propaganda events. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, together with the National Olympic Committee and national federations, is systematically gathering materials and transferring them to international institutions. In particular, the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine has already sent an official memorandum to the IIHF with evidence of so-called "sports raiding"—involving Ukrainian athletes, clubs, and infrastructure from temporarily occupied territories in Russian competitions. Bidnyi urged the IIHF to take these facts into account when developing mechanisms to implement the CAS ruling.

Context: The 2027 World Championship

The men's elite division ice hockey world championship is scheduled for May 14–30, 2027, in Germany. The Ukrainian national team has earned the right to compete at this level for the first time in 20 years. In the group stage, the Ukrainians are scheduled to play against Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia. It was reported earlier that a major sponsor gave the IIHF a choice regarding Russia's participation after 30 years of partnership at ice hockey world championships. Ukraine, together with international partners, plans to use all available legal and diplomatic levers to prevent the legitimization of the aggressor state in global sports, according to Bidnyi's statement.