‘STRONG REACTIONS’

Nobel Foundation Yanks Invite to Russian Ambassador After Backlash

The about-face comes after Sweden objected to the foundation’s earlier decision to allow ambassadors from Russia, Iran and Belarus to attend this year’s ceremony.

The Nobel Foundation said on Saturday that it would not allow the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year’s Nobel Prize awards ceremony in Sweden, reversing its prior decision amid backlash. On Thursday, the foundation declared that it would extend invitations to the three countries as an act of inclusion, noting that even those who don’t share the values of the prize should have the opportunity to attend. Last year, the foundation rejected the ambassadors of Belarus and Russia because of the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The initial announcement of the invites prompted Swedish political parties to threaten to boycott the ceremonies, resulting in the foundation’s quick about-face. “We recognise the strong reactions in Sweden,” the foundation said in a statement. “We, therefore, choose to repeat last year's exception to regular practice–that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.”