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.