Is Poroshenko going to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

The media published a letter dated May 19, allegedly sent by the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Volodymyr Groysman, to the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Oslo, Norway, thanking him for 'the efforts made to ensure that Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko is a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.'

However, the letter states that Ukraine considers the assurances of support from two members of the Nobel Committee as insufficient because the decision is made by five committee members, and the support of at least three of them is needed.

• Many websites are currently being blocked due to propaganda of fascism and racism. The Prosecutor's Office of Bashkortostan has once again started to block websites that violate laws and promote fascism

For Mr. Poroshenko, the letter states, it is very important to have firm guarantees that he will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, as this would demonstrate unanimous support for Ukraine's integrity in the eyes of the democratic society.

The three members of the Nobel Committee, whose favor is being sought in the letter, are a politically diverse group. Ms. Rice-Andersen from the Social Democratic Party and Labour, Ms. Itterhorn from the Libertarian Party, and Ms. Fie from the Conservative Party. The other two committee members are Thorbjørn Jagland from the Labour Party and conservative Henrik Sise. If this letter is authentic, these are indeed the two whose support Poroshenko has been assured.

A photocopy of Groysman’s letter was immediately picked up by all pro-Russian media, portraying all the information presented there in a negative light and comparing Poroshenko to Hitler.

However, there has been no official confirmation of this letter or Poroshenko's candidacy.

The Nobel Peace Prize is an international prize awarded annually by the Norwegian Nobel Committee according to the guidelines set forth in the will of Alfred Nobel. The Peace Prize is one of five awards that have been presented annually since 1901 for outstanding contributions in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.

While other prizes are awarded by committees based in Sweden, the Peace Prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. By Nobel's will, the Peace Prize is to go to the one who 'has done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.' The prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and a large sum of prize money (currently 8 million Swedish crowns).

The Nobel Peace Prize has been described as 'the most prestigious prize in the world.' A total of 101 individuals and 24 organizations have been awarded the Peace Prize. The prize is awarded at a ceremony in the Oslo City Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.