Sandu declines her Nobel Peace Prize nomination: What Ukraine has to do with it?
Photo: Maia Sandu (Getty Images)
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that she is against her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, as there are more deserving candidates — the Ukrainian prisoners of war, TV8 reports.
Read also: 'Have been waiting three years for my son. Now he's home': Report on POW exchange
"I, of course, appreciate it and am grateful that people are paying attention to our country, that they value our courage and resilience, but many people have been nominated for this prize. Today, I looked at the (Ukrainian) prisoners of war who returned home from Russia, and these are people who truly deserve the Peace Prize," she said.
Sandu emphasized that it is the Ukrainians who are genuinely sacrificing themselves for peace and security in Ukraine and in EU countries, and therefore, in her view, they are the most deserving of the award.
"But above all, they deserve peace, and we hope it will come as soon as possible," she stressed.
Background
On Monday, February 2, Norwegian parliament member and leader of the Green Party, Arild Hermstad, proposed nominating Sandu for the Nobel Peace Prize. He explained his decision by saying that the Moldovan president had played "an active role in defending democracy, the rule of law, and peace in the country."
According to Hermstad, Sandu is "on the front line in defending democracy in Europe" and opposes Russia’s ongoing attempts to "destabilize former Soviet states."
Prisoner exchange on February 5
On Thursday, February 5, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange for the first time in four months. 150 military personnel and seven civilians were able to return home. 139 of the freed Ukrainian citizens had been in Russian captivity since 2022.
Among those released were servicemen with injuries. Most of the defenders freed yesterday had been captured during the defense of Mariupol.
