Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the disqualification of a Ukrainian athlete from the Milano Cortina

Olympics, calling the helmet at the center of the dispute a powerful symbol of national resilience.

Speaking in Berlin on Monday, Merz said the helmet worn by the athlete represented the courage and resistance of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s invasion. He described it as a reminder not only of bravery, but also of the suffering inflicted by what he termed Russia’s “barbaric war of aggression” against Ukraine.

The comments follow the February 12 disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych. Heraskevych was removed from the Olympic programme after a jury from the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ruled that images on his helmet — depicting athletes killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 — violated competition regulations.

Heraskevych later challenged the decision, but his appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, effectively ending his bid to compete.

While Merz did not directly address the ruling or the legal process behind the disqualification, his remarks signaled clear political support for Ukraine and framed the disputed helmet as a statement of remembrance and defiance rather than provocation. Photo by The Presidential Office of Ukraine, Wikimedia commons.