Chitra Rajeshwari

As a Professor in the Study of Religion at the University of Oslo, I have the formal opportunity to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. I have therefore just nominated the People of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the 2026 Nobel Peace Price for their valiant defence of peace in Europe against Russian aggression, which seems not limited to Ukraine. Through their immense sacrifice, the People of Ukraine and their President have kept the rest of Europe safe from Russian totalitarianism and imperialism. They are the true and most noble defenders of European liberty, democracy and peace. The formal nomination text is as follows: Through their defence of their own democracy against Russian aggression, the People of Ukraine since 2014 and President Zelenskyy 2019, have helped preserve peace for Europe. As pointed out by various leading politicians, foreign policy experts, and intelligence reports from various states, the Russian territorial ambitions are not limited to Ukraine but extend to other areas previously under Russian control. The official justifications behind the Russian invasion – the alleged right to reclaim land that at one point has been Russian, the claim to allegedly protect Russophone population, and the refusal to accept the legitimacy of a democratically elected government – are just as applicable for Russia’s relations with numerous other countries. The defence of the Ukrainian people against the unilateral Russian invasion of 2014 onwards and particularly after the full-scale invasion of 2022, and of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his entire term, seems, consequently, to have helped preserve peace for other European democracies in the most direct way reflecting the values promoted by the Nobel Peace Prize. In agreement with numerous former Prizes, the achievement of the People of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy is also one of preserving and promoting democracy, as their struggle is one against the totalitarianism and various severe human rights abuses Russia systematically imposes on any territory they illegally occupy The resistance of Ukraine represents, moreover, a decisive defence of the international rules-based order, as it is firmly rooted in the principles of the UN Charter, notably the right of a people to defend itself against aggression. President Zelenskyy and the People of Ukrainian have consistently called for a just and lasting peace based on sovereignty and human rights, and have shown remarkable restraint in the face of systematic attacks on civilians. Author: Professor Dag Øistein Endsjø