In an exclusive interview with TV4 Nyheterna, Ukraine’s ambassador in Stockholm says that he will not attend the Nobel ceremony if the Russian ambassador comes.
– We will try to reach the Nobel Foundation and urge them to reevaluate their decision, says Ukraine’s ambassador Andriy Plachotnyuk.
Since the Nobel Foundation chose to invite all ambassadors – including the Russian one who was not invited last year – it has received criticism from several quarters.
Ukraine’s ambassador questions that the foundation has changed its stance even though nothing has changed in the war.
– Have Russian forces left Ukrainian territory? Have they stopped the attacks on our residential areas? Have they returned the kidnapped children and POWs who are civilian hostages? None of that has happened. Therefore, our position is that we deeply regret the Nobel Foundation’s decision, says Andrij Plachotnjuk.
Boycotts if Russia participates
If the Russian ambassador in Stockholm attends the ceremony, the Ukrainian ambassador will not.
– If this has not changed, I will not participate in this Nobel ceremony, says Plachotnjuk.
If you don’t participate, wouldn’t that be seen as a small win from the Russian side?
– You are right about that. By doing this, someone in Russia may think they are getting support for their brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. In our situation, we are sure that the only way to get Russia to stop the aggression is to continue to consolidate unity and our strong response to their brutal actions.
The Nobel Foundation’s CEO sticks to “practice”
On Friday, the Nobel Foundation’s CEO Vidar Helgesen announced that the foundation has made a long-term decision about a practice where all ambassadors in Stockholm are invited.
Last year, an exception was made for the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus, but that does not seem to be the case this year.
– The correct practice in the long term is to invite all ambassadors from countries that have diplomatic relations with Sweden, Helgesen said on Friday.
The party leaders of V, MP and C have said that they are boycotting the Nobel festivities. The only party leader who has explicitly said it will come is KD’s Ebba Busch.