Sweden stands behind Ukraine: Swedish MP against inviting Russia, Belarus to Nobel Prize award ceremony

Dharamshala: Stating that Sweden stands behind Ukraine, Swedish MP Margareta Elisabeth Cederfel said that Russia and Belarus, who were earlier invited to the Nobel Prize award ceremony, are not welcomed in their country.

The Nobel Foundation has U-turned on a controversial decision to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony after facing widespread criticism, CNN reported.

While talking with ANI in Dharamshala on Saturday, Cederfel said, “For me, it’s important that we as a country stand behind Ukraine and Ukraine’s fight for their territory and integrity. It’s not only about Ukraine, it’s about the free world. It’s about Sweden as well and we are a part of the European Union. We support the sanctions on those people from Russia from Belarus who are on the sanctions list. They are not welcome to Sweden, not to the European Union.”

A group of Swedish Parliamentary Delegations led by Moderate Party’s Margareta Elisabeth Cederfelt came to Dharamshala to attend the 63rd Tibetan Democracy Day on Saturday.

Apart from the Moderate Party, various MPs from other Swedish parties including the Sweden Democrats Party, the Christian Democrats Party and the Green Party were also present on the occasion.

Janine Sofia Alm Ericson from the Green Party also echoed the same sentiments.

“I think it was a very surprising thing to do for them. Last year they were not invited. Because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the horrible war that is going on and so it was a surprise for everybody that they changed their minds but just now they withdrew that invitation because many leaders of the different parties in Sweden said that they would not join the ceremony of the celebration if the invitations still stood so they have withdrawn back and we are happy for that,” she told ANI.

MP Richard Johannes Jomshof also said that people in Sweden are against the Ukraine war and they did not like the invite to Russia for the Nobel event.