Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Kyiv would nominate U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he succeeds in stopping Russia’s military actions in Ukraine after his U.S. counterpart announced a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment on Thursday.
Why It Matters
Trump has pushed for a settlement to the Ukraine crisis and has threatened Moscow with new punitive sanctions and secondary tariffs if it does not make peace soon and end its full-scale invasion, which Russian President Vladimir Putin launched in February 2022.
Trump has repeatedly raised his deal-making bona fides in connection with his viability for a Nobel Peace Prize, a case he once again pressed during his speech before the General Assembly during the United Nations High Level week in late September.
“Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each of these achievements,” he said after claiming to have ended “seven unendable wars” during his second term, with most of his actions involving ceasefires or diplomatic interventions.
Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the coveted peace prize during his second term, often musing that he believes he deserves to win the award former President Barack Obama received in 2009.
What To Know
During his first presidential term, Trump was nominated for the award for his role in facilitating the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states. Other nominations followed his North Korea diplomacy and Kosovo–Serbia economic normalization.
During a visit to the White House in July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had sent a letter to the Nobel Prize Committee nominating Trump for his efforts in the Middle East.
Speculation about Trump’s Nobel Prize prospects have gathered momentum over the ending of hostilities in Gaza and the return of hostages that were taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack although sticking points for long-term peace remain.
But Zelensky weighed into the debate during a press conference on Thursday in which he said that if Trump secured “a ceasefire for the world, and Ukrainians in particular” he should be nominated for the prize and Kyiv would be among the nominees.
Members of the Ukrainian parliament registered a motion last month urging the Nobel Committee to consider nominating Trump for the award.
Trump has repeatedly said he can solve the Russia-Ukraine war, however Russia continues to reject the ceasefire proposals by the Trump administration. Threats of further sanctions and longer-range Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv which could strike deep inside Russia have also not pushed Putin to any deal.
Zelensky said that a brokering a ceasefire to encourage peace talks would be a great achievement for Trump.
The Ukrainian leader said that Trump “really wants” there to be a ceasefire and an end to the war and that it “very possible” to stop the war but more pressure was needed on Russia, reported Ukrainian outlet Ukrinform.
What People Are Saying
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday during a press conference: “The plan to end the war will not be simple, but it is still definitely the way. And if Trump gives the opportunity for such a ceasefire to the world, first of all, to the Ukrainians, yes, he should be nominated for the Nobel Prize. We will nominate from Ukraine.”
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly previously told Newsweek in an email statement: “President Trump has done more for global stability than any leader in the world.”
What Happens Next?
There are 338 candidates this year—244 individuals and 94 organizations and the winner will be announced on Friday in Oslo at 11 a.m. local time. The full list is kept secret for 50 years, although Trump is among the names that has surfaced through speculation or self-declared nominations.
