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A battle of wreaths erupts in the Arctic when Russian envoy puts his garland over Norway’s wreath

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A battle of wreaths has erupted when a Russian diplomat in the Arctic town of Kirkenes in northern Norway reportedly put his garland on top of Norway’s at a monument for the 1944 liberation of the region by Soviet troops. Magnus Mæland, the municipality mayor, then angrily removed the Russian wreath — only to have a woman, described by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK as being Russian, put it back. Mæland told NRK that “one should be able to lay flowers at a monument, but not over the municipality’s official wreath.” Several local people in the border town close to the Russian border, had called on Russian officials to stay away from the ceremony.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

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Associated Press

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