Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize: Assessing possible prospects

The Nobel Peace Prize is set to be announced on Friday and the world is eyeing whether the U.S. President Donald Trump will receive this year’s Award or not.

The world is no stranger to Donald Trump’s enthusiasm to get the worthy prize, considering and propagating himself as a deserving contender on multiple occasions.

Two-time U.S. president’s public campaign for the honour started off with a quip in 2018, saying about possible nomination, “Everyone thinks so but I would never say it. The prize I want is victory for the world.”

In February, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump said, "They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me."

Why does Trump consider himself eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize?

In several speeches and conferences, Trump has mentioned several reasons why he should get the prestigious award.

The first contribution he made was in stopping multiple wars. During his summit with Ukrainian and European leaders, he boasted, “I have done six wars, I have ended six wars. If you look at the six deals I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires.”

Later, he revised his stance to the seven wars while talking to Fox News. 

Mr Trump also took credit for intervening and stopping Iran-Israel’s 12-day war.

Dr Samir Puri, director of the Centre for Global Governance and Security at Chatham House, declared Trump's claims absurd.

“There was a huge difference between getting fighting to stop in the short-term and resolving the root causes of the conflict,” he added.

Who pitched for the nomination of Donald Trump?

Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Cambodia’s Prime Minister, the government of Pakistan, Senior Ukrainian politician, US politician Buddy Carter, and the legislators from Sweden, Norway, and the US.

Moreover, Benjamin Netanyahu publicly wrote a nomination letter at the White House. Azerbaijan’s president also endorsed Trump's nomination for the prize.

Steve Witkoff, chief envoy of the US administration, also recognized Trump as “the single finest candidate” in the award’s history.

Can Trump really win Nobel Peace Prize: Assessing possible prospects

As the announcement for the winners is just one day away, the world, including experts and critics, are assessing possible scenarios for Trump’s victory.

The Norwegian Noble Committee consists of five people, the majority of whom have been critical of Trump and his policies.

Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel committee, has censured Trump for restricting freedom.

According to some experts, it is not possible for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

According to Nina Graeger, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, Trump is not a suitable candidate for the award as per Alfred Nobel’s will as the award should go to a person "who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations".

She continued, “He has withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization and from the Paris Accord on climate, he has initiated a trade war on old friends and allies.”

"That is not exactly what we think about when we think about a peaceful president or someone who really is interested in promoting peace."

As per Ylva Engstrom’s suggestion, who is vice president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, “Mr Trump's changes are reckless and could have devastating effects".

According to Ylva, academic freedom is one of the pillars of the democratic system. The cuts made by the Trump administration will stifle innovation and scientific advancement.

On the other hand, some experts consider that Trump has fair chances of winning the prize.

Professor Matthew Mokhefi-Ashton, who is principal lecturer in politics and international relations at Nottingham Trent University talked about the Committee’s criteria which is abstract.

As per Mokhefi-Ashton’s observations, if controversial and eminent figures such as the US diplomat and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger could win Nobel Peace Prize for ending Vietnam war in 1973 despite the fact that he was also accused of war crimes, “In a world where that can happen, then absolutely I think it is possible for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which is represented by relatives of the majority of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, advocated for Trump winning the award as he “brought us light through our darkest times.” 

Israel, Hamas agreement & Nobel Peace Prize

The tentative Israel-Hamas agreement can be more than a diplomatic breakthrough. It can directly act as a potential cornerstone of Donald Trump’s political legacy and a direct bid for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For a president who has long coveted the honour, a successful deal to end the Gaza war would represent his most significant foreign policy achievement. His announcement of the deal’s “first phase” was delivered with the grand pronouncements of a victor.

However, the prize is far from guaranteed. The Nobel Committee prizes concrete, sustainable results. While a ceasefire and hostage return are monumental, the agreement remains fragile, with hardliners on both sides threatening its collapse.

Ultimately, a Nobel would require more than an initial truce; it would demand a verifiable, lasting peace. Should this deal solidify into a durable resolution, it would provide the tangible, historic accomplishment that could finally secure Trump the accolade he seeks.