Nobel Foundation under fire for inviting Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to banquet

Swedish politicians slam the Nobel Foundation for the decision to invite Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm this year and consider boycotting the ceremony, according to Aftonbladet.

According to Aftonbladet, leaders of several political parties have already decided to boycott the Nobel Prize banquet.

“Decent Swedish politicians with any democratic and moral compass do not party with representatives from Russia, Belarus and Iran. Period,” the leader of the SD party, Jimmie Åkesson, said.

The leader of the Swedish Liberal Party, Carl Johan Georg Pehrson, stated that he “will not sit and raise a toast to the Russian ambassador while Putin’s disgusting and bloody aggression in Ukraine continues.”

Muharrem Demirok, the leader of the Center Party, said he would abstain from visiting the Nobel Prize banquet if he knew that a Russian ambassador was there.

“I was looking forward to attending the ceremony and the Nobel banquet. But as long as Russia is waging its war against Ukraine, I can’t attend the same party as their ambassador. I like to celebrate research and progress, but not under any circumstances,” Muharrem Demirok said.

The leader of the Swedish Left Party, Nooshi Dadgostar, said that she would not come to the Nobel banquet if a Russian ambassador is invited to it. It is unacceptable to be in the company of a Russian official “while bombs are falling over Ukraine,” Dadgostar said.

Magdalena Andersson, the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party (the largest Swedish political party not in government), criticized the Nobel Foundation for the decision to invite the Russian ambassador to the Nobel Prize banquet.

“The Nobel Foundation should seriously consider what it means to invite a representative of a regime that is waging a heinous and illegal war in Ukraine and is also threatening Sweden,” Magdalena Andersson said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson criticized the Nobel Foundation for inviting the Russian ambassador and said he was surprised to learn of the invitation.

Earlier this week, the Nobel Foundation announced its intention to invite Russian and Belarusian diplomats to attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. In 2022, representatives of Belarus and Russia were not invited to the Nobel banquet.

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