The Nobel Foundation has reversed a controversial decision to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony.

Coincidentally, the foundation walked back on its decisions following widespread criticism.

-The reversal-

In a press release on Saturday, the foundation announced that it would not be inviting ambassadors from these three countries.

In addition, the foundation retracted its initial intention to involve even those who did not share the values of the Nobel Prize.

Consequently, the decision to invite the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors faced strong opposition.

The first wave of criticism was particularly from Ukraine, which had condemned the move.

These ambassadors had been excluded from the Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Stockholm the previous year.

-Why the foundation reconsidered-

Moreover, the exclusion was due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The war then had taken centre stage in global events shaping the year.

The Nobel Foundation explained its change in stance, stating that the decision to invite all ambassadors had sparked intense reactions.

The foundation emphasized its belief that it was important to convey the values and messages of the Nobel Prize as widely as possible.

-What happened the previous year?-

This included acknowledging the previous year’s political message when the Peace Prize was awarded to human rights activists from Russia and Belarus, as well as Ukrainians documenting Russian war crimes.

However, the strong backlash from Sweden overshadowed this message.

Alternatively, the immense backlash led to the foundation reverting its previous exception to regular practice.

In other words, it decided not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.

-Reaction Russia’s invite was pulled-

This change in decision received a positive response from both the Swedish prime minister and Ukrainian officials.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson welcomed the Nobel Foundation’s new decision.

Consequently, Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, regarded it as a “restoration of justice.”

Evidently, the decision was widely applauded by the rest of the members in attendance.

-The Nobel Banquet-

In addition, the Nobel Banquet, where five out of six Nobel Prizes are awarded, is an annual event that takes place in Stockholm on December 10.

The Nobel Peace Prize is separately awarded in Oslo, Norway.

The exclusion of Russians and Belarusians from various events has been a recurring consequence of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Do you think it was right to exclude Russia and Belarus?