Stance

How a foolish piece of flattery degrades the Nobel Prize. A commentary by Rainhard Kloucek.

“I need ammunition, not a ride.” This was the reaction of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Moscow terror regime’s war of annihilation against Ukraine in February 2022, when he was offered evacuation from the country. At the time, no one knew how the attack would proceed. However, Moscow’s goal of eliminating Ukraine’s elected leadership was evident. Zelensky showed a principled stance; that must be acknowledged, regardless of one’s opinion of him. Refusing to flee could have been his death sentence.

Many in the West assumed at the time that it would be a matter of days or weeks before Kyiv fell. It was likely with exactly this expectation that many Western politicians made their promises to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. Had Kyiv fallen within a few days or weeks, they would have returned to business as usual, just as they did after the annexation of Crimea.

The opposite of a principled stance was shown in mid-January by this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan communist regime opponent, Maria Corina Machado, when she presented U.S. President Donald Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal. This certainly flattered the MAGA narcissist.

It will achieve nothing for Venezuela or Ms. Machado. Trump cares little to nothing for democracy, which Ms. Machado hopefully still represents. Trump has no problem working with the current communist regime as long as they supply enough oil for the U.S. to sell. Demanding the compensation once awarded to American companies by international arbitration following their expropriation would be legitimate. However, given the way Trump conducts himself, his focus is not on enforcing rights, but on power and raw materials.

In contrast to Zelensky, Machado has submitted to the hegemon. In doing so, she has proven that she lacks principles and does not deserve the Nobel Prize. She has degraded it for the sake of flattery. The world is thus back in the game of hegemony. Those with a principled stance, however, will continue to advocate for a rules-based order.