Ukraine’s ambassador would accompany Ukrainian children on the May 17 train. Get no.

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Two weeks ago, the leader of Oslo’s 17 May committee Anna Dåsnes (V) had a meeting with the Ukrainian embassy.

Here, Ambassador Vyacheslav Yatsjuk expressed a desire to participate in the train. The ambassador wanted to gather a group of Ukrainian children and go on the children’s train with them.

After consulting with Oslo’s mayor Marianne Borgen (SV), the May 17 committee has decided to say no.

Dåsnes says they understand the wish. But they believe the best way to include children from Ukraine is to go to their schools.

– The train is for the children, it is not a political event. We do not want it to be a place where adults’ need for marking should appear, says Dåsnes to Aftenposten.

Can go with the classes

– We must take into account what we think the children want, she says, and refers to the May 17 regulations in the municipality.

– The regulations state that it is schools that go on the trains. We would like to invite the Ukrainian children who have been given a school place to go with their classmates. It is a great way to show unity, Dåsnes believes.

Children who have not been assigned a school class will still be able to go on the train together with reception classes, Aftenposten is informed.

The chair of the committee is also concerned with the principle of equality.

– In the Oslo school, there are children from very many different conflict areas. We must take everyone into account and not discriminate.

– What about the ambassador – is there a place for him on the train?

– It is not the case that ambassadors go on the children’s train. It’s for kids. The ambassadors receive a separate invitation to watch the train.

Drawn out in the speech to the President of Ukraine

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj addressed the Storting in March, he spoke warmly about the Norwegian children’s train.

– This year you will also have Ukrainian children in these trains, children who have fled and sought refuge in Norway, Zelenskyj said.

– The Ukrainian president mentioned his children’s train in his speech to the Storting. What is it like to say no to this?

– The spinal reflex of many of us is that we want to show great support for Ukraine. But we must take into account whether this is our wish or the children’s wish. The children’s train is for the children, not for the adults, says Dåsnes and continues:

– The Ukrainian children are most welcome. It’s just that they go together with their school and not together in a group. They can go with Ukrainian flags or Norwegian flags, and the embassy can also have other types of markings if they wish.

The Ukrainian embassy informs Aftenposten that they do not have the opportunity to comment on the case now.

Support in the committee

Earlier this spring, the committee considered a similar proposal to gather a group of Ukrainian children on the train. A joint committee then chose to reject the proposal. Dåsnes refers to this decision as a reason for the rejection. The Conservatives make it clear that they support the decision.

– It is easy to have sympathy with various wishes to mark political support for the Ukrainian people during the children’s march in Oslo, but I think it is important to stick to the May 17 traditions we have today. That is why we support the mayor and the committee leader in this matter, says Hassan Nawas, city council member.

– At the same time, it is important that we in Oslo show that we are generous and inclusive. Therefore, I hope the schools use the opportunity to invite and include Ukrainian children of school age on the train if they can, and that many refugees show up and stand with the rest of us and wave when the children’s train passes.

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