U.S. President Donald Trump, who built his political brand on an “America First” platform, is reportedly pursuing one of the world’s most prestigious honors, the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska is the decisive test for this ambition.
Trump hopes to mediate an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, a conflict that has resulted in an estimated 1.5 million casualties. While analysts are skeptical of a major breakthrough, a peace deal that is fair to Ukraine would be a significant diplomatic win that his predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, couldn’t achieve.
Building a Diplomatic Legacy
In recent months, the Trump administration has been highlighting its past achievements in mediating peace, including the de-escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, as well as temporary agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I have stopped six wars,” Trump said last month in Scotland. “My average is one war a month.” His efforts have prompted leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and even his staunch opponent, Hillary Clinton, to publicly support a Nobel candidacy for him—with Clinton adding the condition that he must end the war in Ukraine without Moscow seizing territory from Kyiv.
The Nobel Committee’s Decision
The final decision on the Nobel Peace Prize rests with a five-member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament. The committee adheres to the criteria set by Alfred Nobel, who specified that the prize should be awarded to those who have done the most “for the fraternity of nations.” If the summit today leads to an immediate ceasefire, as Trump hopes, it would be increasingly difficult for the committee to ignore his candidacy.
