Home › World › Paralympic vote and Poland's border reopening
Paralympic vote and Poland's border reopening
Summary
A retrospective on 26 September 2025, when the International Paralympic Committee voted on sanctions and Poland's border with Belarus had just reopened.
What did the week of 26 September 2025 change for Russia, Belarus and their western neighbours? Two decisions, one in sport and one at a border, pointed in the same direction.
On 26 September 2025, members of the International Paralympic Committee voted not to maintain sanctions against the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus.
Poland reopens the border
Two days earlier, on 24 September 2025, Poland reopened its border with Belarus. Warsaw had closed it during Russia-led military exercises. It cited reduced security risks and economic considerations for the reopening.
The exercise behind the closure
The exercises were Zapad 2025, a joint Russian-Belarusian strategic drill held in Belarus on 12–16 September 2025. Belarus said the drills would test the defensive readiness of the Union State, with main activities at central training areas near Barysaw and a reciprocal movement of units between the two countries. It was the first Zapad exercise since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Authorities described a scaled-down format, with locations deeper inside Belarus.
The border reopening came after the drills ended, and Poland gave the lower security risk as one of its reasons. The Paralympic vote came separately, but within the same few days.
