This autumn, several Norwegian municipalities chose to end their agreements with Russian twin cities with immediate effect. Rana was among the municipalities that did not want to end the collaboration in the hope of a warmer collaborative climate after the war. Now, however, the mayor of Mo i Rana’s sister city of Petrozavodsk, Vladimir Lyubarsky, has enlisted in the Akhmat battalion. The Akhmat Battalion is particularly notorious for its war crimes in Ukraine, including the killing of civilians, torture and rape. – He posts pictures of weapons and is formally a colleague of the mayor in a northern Norwegian town that I live in. That’s what Mykyta Konovalov, who is chairman of the Ukrainian Association in Rana municipality, says. Photo: Ola Helness / news – Problematic – I believe that it is a little problematic that Mo i Rana can be associated with the city where the mayor supports violations of human rights. Mykyta Konovalov believes it is important to show solidarity with Ukraine, and that one must remember that it is Putin’s war, not the mean Russians. – If you assume that the average Russian is against the war and the policies of the ruling powers, it is quite important that you show solidarity with the grassroots in Russia. On 10 November, a unanimous municipal council in Rana municipality decided to freeze, against terminating the friendship agreement with Petrozavodsk. – I believe that it was a rather unfortunate signal then. But what has happened in the last week is even more special, because there is a person who obviously supports the war, says Konovalov. The residents of Mo i Rana, on the other hand, have slightly different opinions about what the municipality should do in relation to the friendship with the city of Petrozavodsk. – I think that you should consider the friendship. We as a people should show solidarity with the Ukrainians and break the friendship, says Kari Westgård Nodland Photo: Tonje Vonstad / Tonje Vonstad – Maybe they need a friendship town more than ever? Although my first thought is “break everything”, says Linda Elisabeth Hansen. – We just have to boycott Russia completely. They are committing war crimes, says Einar Varem. – I don’t think it’s a good idea to be friends with them when they’re at war. Maybe we should wait a bit and see what happens, says Eyerusalem Tesfay (8) Should break the friendship The mayor of Rana municipality, Geir Waage (Ap) believes that the friendship agreement should be broken and takes the development seriously. – A new situation has arisen here and now, so we are following the situation and what is happening in Ukraine closely, and then it will be up to the municipal council meeting in October. Mayor of Rana municipality, Geir Waage (Ap) Photo: Frank Nygård / news Waage goes on to say that Rana has not had meetings with Petrozavodsk on a political or administrative level for many years. Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Berit Lindeman, believes that Rana should withdraw from the agreement, and now. – Now it is natural to end these agreements. All the opportunities we have to make a mark of disgust against the war are necessary. Berit Lindeman, secretary general of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news – I understand that there are processes in the municipality, but it should not be a big decision for the municipality to withdraw from the agreement. Lindeman says that the Akhmat battalion is responsible for the most serious war crimes in Ukraine. – It is a reprehensible grouping and it is clear that Rana cannot see himself familiar with even having a friendship on ice. Now they have to withdraw from the agreement. Bård Ludvig Thorheim (H), like Lindman, believes that the situation is serious and that Rana must react clearly to the twin city and stand up for democratic values. Bård Ludvig Thorheim, Storting representative for the Conservative Party. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB – It is important to react immediately. When the decision comes may not be so important, but it will be passive to wait with everything until the autumn. Thorheim believes the municipality can resort to several methods, if they do not make a decision before the holidays. – You can write a letter of protest and speak to the Russian municipality, so that the message is really heard by the authorities and people who live there. Will not be associated with Lyubarsky – It is something that we at Rana must not be associated with. This is what the municipal council representative in Rana, Alf Helge Strumfors (R), says. He believes the time has come to end the collaboration. Photo: Frank Nygård / news – If there is ever going to be a time, it might have to be now. Strumfors voted to freeze the agreement in November. He believes it was the right decision at the time, but has now changed his position on the matter. – It is Petrozavodsk’s Geir Morten Waage, so to speak. And it gives a completely different symbolic effect than if someone else had done it. The mayor of Petrozavodsk is their official representative abroad, also above Rana, so I therefore believe that it will probably be right to break the agreement now. Russian street name in Rana In 2020, the Rana municipal council decided to name Brennåsen after its friendly town. Petrozavodskveien, was proposed as one of the new road names. The Language Council had no objections to the name proposal and thus Petrozavodskveien became Rana’s newest road name. But the work on the road name has not yet been realized elsewhere than online. Photo: Gule sider / Screenshot – You have also decided that a road should be named after Petrozavodsk. Are you going to watch it again too? – In that case, it is something that the municipal council must decide on, says Geir Waage. Alf Helge Strumfors (R) believes the issue of the road name can wait until the first municipal council in October. – I am a bit skeptical about taking things that obviously only have a symbolic value. I would probably say that it is much more important to get something marked above the official political representatives of Petrozavodsk, than to change a road name up on Brennåsen. news has tried to get in touch with the administration in Petrozavodsk and Vladimir Lyubarsky, but has so far been unable to get a comment.
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The mayor of Rana’s friendly town enlisted for the war in Ukraine – news Nordland
