The government turned in the back room about Ukrainian soldiers – VG

Less than 30 minutes ago

–

On 31 May, the decision is clear: Norway will receive wounded Ukrainian soldiers for hospital treatment to relieve the pressured health care system in Ukraine.

But the road there has been tortuous.

For over a month, four ministries have been discussing whether it is at all possible to bring soldiers from a country at war.

The lengthy process has caused the opposition to stagnate – and the same day as the government lands the decision, they are reprimanded by the Conservatives – and urgently summoned to the Storting.

– This is about rescuing severely injured Ukrainian wounded. Then we can not wait any longer. The transmission accuracy takes life, says a very frustrated Sveinung Stensland, the Conservatives’ justice policy spokesman, to NTB then.

What people do not know is that the government has already on April 24 agreed to bring three wounded Ukrainian soldiers to Norway – before they pulled the emergency brake and said no to picking up soldiers for over a month.

–

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU say yes

In late April, violent violence in eastern Ukraine escalated following Russia’s invasion.

When Ukraine on April 23 sends the request to receive the wounded soldiers, Norway has already started the job of receiving 550 civilian wounded Ukrainians, which the government announced at the end of March.

The Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) is checking with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EU, because we are talking about soldiers.

The answer from the EU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is clear: they give the green light.

Norway, at DSB, therefore offers to pick up the patients on 24 April.

– The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ assessment was that in this situation it was natural that wounded soldiers were treated in line with other wounded or sick patients in need of treatment, writes State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson (Labor) in an e-mail to VG today.

1 / 3

–

–

–

–

previous

in this

full screen

–

–

But then comes the counter-message: DSB also contacts the Ministry of Justice for clarifications, which answer that they will put everything on hold.

Four ministries will now step in to assess the case: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense.

From April 29 until they are completed, Norway will not make any more offers to Ukraine to retrieve wounded soldiers.

The reason is that Norway has no experience of receiving wounded foreign soldiers during an ongoing conflict, according to the Ministry of Justice.

– Reception of wounded Ukrainian soldiers raises fundamental, practical and legal issues. It was also necessary to make certain security assessments, writes State Secretary Astrid Bergmål (Labor) in the Ministry of Justice in an e-mail to VG afterwards.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells VG today that they were positive about this when it was proposed.

Norway’s no does not have practical significance for the three wounded soldiers we agreed to take.

There are several countries that receive the same request from Ukraine to pick up the wounded soldiers at the same time, and they accepted the offer from another country and are transported there.

–

While the ministries throw the ball between themselves, both the military and civilian death toll in Ukraine is increasing.

VG’s reporters on the ground report that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is intensifying.

From the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, it is reported during this period that more have been found mass graves.

On Sunday 1 May, the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steelworks will begin in the coastal town. After weeks of intense fighting and bombing, the Ukrainian authorities announce that they will give up the fight for the steelworks on 20 May.

1 / 4

–

–

–

–

–

previous

in this

full screen

–

–

Decided the same day

At home in Norway, the Conservatives are losing patience with the government on the issue of wounded soldiers and urgently convening Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) to the Storting.

But the government do not know immediately who will answer the Storting, whether it is Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) or Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor).

State Secretary Astrid Bergmål in the Ministry of Justice says today that there were practical reasons for this.

– The medical evacuation scheme affects the responsibilities of several ministries. A completely ordinary assessment was therefore made of who was closest to answering the question, she writes in an e-mail to VG.

–

None of the ministers need to appear in the Storting. The decision to receive wounded Ukrainian soldiers – with whom they have been working for over a month – will be clarified on the same day.

The government rejects any connection between the summons and the government’s decision.

– It was a coincidence that this fell on the same day, writes State Secretary Astrid Bergmål to VG.

The first wounded Ukrainian soldier arrived in Norway on 12 June.

–

Just over a week after the decision is ready, the Storting’s powerful control and constitution committee announces that they will investigate the government’s handling of Ukraine.

– We do it because of what has come out about the aid requests from Ukraine, and the mess from the Storting where they failed to find out who should run and the answer to the Storting’s question, said Peter Frølich (H), who heads the committee, to VG June 7.

– It looks like a blissful mess from the outside, he said then.

1 / 3

–

–

–

–

previous

in this

full screen

–

–

– It hurts to think about

Details of the government’s work appears in a letter from Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) to the Storting’s Control and Constitution Committee, as part of the investigation Frølich announced.

– We have come across some sensational information, Frølich says to VG today.

He speaks on behalf of the Conservatives in the committee.

The seas: The Solberg government also said no to treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers in 2016.

–

Frølich says that they will check a number of information more thoroughly, including related to long case processing time and requests from Ukraine that have never been answered.

– We have several questions. What was the reason for the treatment being stopped, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first gave the green light? Why should it take over a month to clarify a relatively simple legal issue?

Frølich says they already see a lack of coordination within the government.

– I hope the delay has not had consequences for the lives and health of Ukrainians. But we are also talking about serious war damage. That Norway put a full stop to help them is painful to think about, he says.

–

Related posts:

Death stabbing 17-year-old boy in The Hague in May was possible retaliation

You can now watch the full first episode of Sonic Prime on YouTube

Lorraine. Need help ? Let yourself be guided by the Vocational Orientation and Integration Service

A dream residence of a crore and a 50 percent 500 feet lifted to avoid 'highway' - Punjab | Delhi-...