The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded this Friday in Norway. The award is made during the tensest standoff in Europe in more than 70 years between Ukraine and Russia.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most significant and difficult to understand due to the ongoing pressure both nations put on one another. Because of this, it was challenging for the Norwegian committee to decide who should win one of the coveted honors in the entire globe.
A Nobel Prize carries a lot of weight because it stands for fortitude and hope in the face of uncertainty, especially in difficult times. Additionally, experts said that several circumstances would make the Nobel Peace Prize’s award uncertain.
Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said, “Sometimes, it’s hard to figure out who might get the prize because there are so many possible candidates.”
“This year, it’s hard to figure out who might get the prize because there’s so little good that is happening in the world of peace and security.”
Everybody has a chance of winning the Nobel Prize, which is only natural. Because of this, the identity of the screening committee is kept a secret when considering applicants for the honor. Naturally, individuals who may get the prize come to the thoughts of peace and security specialists, but even they are uncertain because the selection committee’s decision-making procedure is kept confidential.
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The effect of the war
There had not been a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize throughout the First and Second World Wars. Additionally, there are several cases where the reward was not handed at all. But throughout history, the Nobel Prize has been conferred when there was little hope and several countries were affected due to war.
Additionally, those who choose the prize recipient would be making a significant choice given the geopolitical climate in Europe today. The reward will stand for promoting peace, and as such, it will have a significant impact on their suggestions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are two other people who many analysts are keeping an eye on. Both have contributed significantly to the relief of those who have needed it. However, while the commissioner has guided those forced to flee their homes because of conflict, Volodymyr is a figure who protects his people from Russian threats.
“Zelensky is a war leader, and what is happening at the moment is war. You can admire or not admire the action he’s undertaking, but it’s about war and the armed defense of his country. That’s a fact that should be respected in and of itself,” added Smith.
“Hopefully, the war will come to an end, and they will make peace. If Zelensky or somebody else can contribute to making that peace, then there will be time to acknowledge that enormous achievement.”
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Kremlin critics could receive the award
According to analysts, Putin’s adversaries may be in line to get the Nobel Peace Prize due to Russia’s growing international disapproval for its cruel treatment of its smaller neighbor. Alexey Navalny is a prime example, who has subsequently commented on Russia’s actions in the Ukraine conflict and other matters. This resulted in Navalny being jailed. In addition, Navalny openly blamed the Russian government for his poisoning in 2020.
“Navalny, I think, is heroic, (but) he’s a political leader. It’s a prize that is to be awarded not for how great you are but for how great the things you’ve done are,” said Smith.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a leader of the opposition in Belarus who ran against a staunch Putin loyalist, is another person who may be in line to get the Nobel honor.
“Both Tsikhanouskaya and Navalny are vocal critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A shared Nobel Peace Prize between them would be seen as a clear protest of the Russian aggression and the assistance by Belarus, and as support of democratic and non-violent alternatives to Lukashenko and Putin.”
Photo Credit: Geir Anders Rybakken Ørslien
Source: CNN
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.
