The FIA’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians back under their own flags has sparked significant backlash, especially in Eastern European countries like Ukraine and the Baltic states. Vaidotas Žala, the defending winner of the Dakar Rally’s Truck category, is one of those who’ve strongly rebuked the verdict.

“A decision has been announced to allow Russians to participate in international competitions, including Dakar,” Žala said. “While missiles fall on Ukrainian civilians, Russian flags belong in the trash.”

Žala, like his fellow Lithuanians, has stood alongside Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. While not as outspoken about the war as those such as fellow rally raider Benediktas Vanagas, he has backed fundraisers and other efforts for Ukrainian relief programs and the military. These include auctioning off items like his 2018 Dakar finisher’s medal and rims from his 2022 Mini JCW Rally, with the proceeds being donated to the Lithuanian NGO Blue / Yellow.

In 2023, the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport organized “Milijonas vaistinėlių Ukrainai” (“Million Medicines for Ukraine”) and enlisted Žala, Vanagas, and Dakar veteran Antanas Juknevičius as spokespeople. The campaign sent 115,223 old first aid kits located in Lithuanian cars to Ukraine.

The Lithuanian Automobile Sport Federation also maintains a full ban on Russian and Belarusian racers from competing in Lithuania, a policy that Žala and his compatriots advocated for. While the FIA’s rule change means such drivers can race internationally, ASNs may keep their own restrictions for races within their own jurisdiction; neighboring Latvia has its own ban too.

Vanagas called the verdict a “step backwards”. The Automobile Federation of Ukraine has since submitted an appeal to the FIA.

“russia’s war against Ukraine continues,” Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi wrote. The ‘r’ in the country name is intentionally lowercase, which has been permitted by the Ukrainian government since 2023 in unofficial contexts. “No place for sportswashing or the normalization of aggression in international sport.”

With the FIA overturning its ban, Žala would figure to go up against Russian giant KAMAZ-master, who dominated the Dakar’s Truck class until the invasion. However, several Russian Dakarians have been skeptical of 2027 entries because they’re unlikely to get the funding together in time, while KAMAZ’s parent company is under Western sanction similar to MAZ in Belarus. KAMAZ-master has also been operating on a tighter budget.

Žala switched to trucks in 2025 after a decade racing cars at Dakar. He finished fifth in his first year before claiming a stage win and the overall in January’s edition.

Featured image credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI / ASO