Nerijus and Gwladys Adomaitis.

OSLO (Reuters). -People at power in Russia actively promote the idea of war and that conflict with Ukraine could be a possibility, Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize winner, said Friday.

Muratov received the award from Oslo City Hall. He stated that Russia has a tendency to consider politicians who avoid bloodshed weak while those who threaten war are true patriots.

Muratov (editor-in-chief Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta) won the 2021 award together with Maria Ressa of Philippines, cofounder of Rappler news site. They were recognized for their struggle for freedom and expression.

“The powerful actively support the idea of war,” said he. “Moreover, even in the minds of some mad geopoliticians a war between Russia & Ukraine is possible.”

Officials from the United States have stated that Russia might soon invade Ukraine due to a buildup of troops at Ukraine’s border. Moscow denied that an invasion is planned.

Muratov stated that Russia’s journalism was “going through a dark valley”, and over 100 journalists, media outlets, human right defenders, and non-governmental organizations were being labeled foreign agents.

Muratov declared, “Enemies are people in Russia,” dedicating his prize for investigative journalists to Novaya Gazeta colleagues who have been killed as a result of their reporting.

Ressa, Muratov’s co-laureate, reiterated her demand for social media platform reform.

She stated that “We have the greatest need to change hate and violence and the toxic sludge coursing through our info ecosystem,” and that this was prioritised in America by internet companies who make more money spreading hate and creating the worst of us.

Section 230 is a law in the United States that considers social media platforms utilities.

Ressa, Muratov were the first journalists to be awarded the Nobel prize after Germany’s Carl von Ossietzky was presented with the 1935 award. They revealed the Nazi secret weaponry programme.

Ressa mentioned in her speech, Von Ossietzky never received his award because he was in concentration camps and was later killed in custody.

She stated, “By giving it to journalists today the Nobel committee signalled a similar historic moment, an additional existential point in democracy.”

For a graphic listing all Nobel laureates, click on https://graphics.reuters.com/NOBEL-PRIZE/010050ZC27H/index.html