Ukrainian prisoners freed from Russia deserve Nobel Peace Prize: Moldovan president

By Kanyshai Butun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian prisoners who have returned home from Russia “are people who deserve” the Nobel Peace Prize, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Friday after she was proposed for nomination for the award.

Leader of Norway’s Green Party, lawmaker Arild Hermstad proposed Sandu for nomination, citing her efforts to “defend democracy in the face of Russian attempts at influence and destabilization, including cyberattacks, disinformation and political pressure.”

“Today I looked at the Ukrainian prisoners who returned home from Russia, and these are people who deserve the Peace Prize,” the president told the Moldovan outlet TV8, saying she appreciates the Norwegian lawmaker’s move.

Sandu added that “precisely these people” make genuine sacrifices for peace and regional security.

“Those who give their lives for peace because they want to bring it back to their country, to their villages and cities, to our continent. They deserve it first and foremost. But above all, they deserve peace, and we hope it will come as soon as possible,” she noted.