Donald Trump’s Nobel Hopes Fade: Putin offers unlikely Praise for His “Genuine” Peace Efforts
As the glow of Nobel season fades without his name among the laureates, the US President Donald Trump has found an unexpected admirer in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin who is often cast as Trump’s geopolitical foil, has publicly credited Trump for his genuine efforts toward ending global conflicts, even as Trump’s long-sought Nobel Peace Prize slips further from reach.
Speaking from Tajikistan on Thursday, Putin accused the Nobel Committee of rewarding those who have done nothing for peace, while praising Trump for his work to mediate long-standing crises. The Russian leader’s remarks came shortly after Trump, undeterred by the Nobel snub, announced what he called an “end” to the Israel-Hamas war and renewed his pledge to broker peace in Ukraine.
In Trump’s view, the Nobel Peace Prize has long symbolized the ultimate vindication of his self-styled role as a global dealmaker. His allies have lobbied tirelessly for his nomination, framing his foreign policy record, from North Korea to the Middle East as evidence of diplomacy through strength. Yet, as the Nobel Committee looked elsewhere this year, it was Putin’s words, that offered Trump the validation he craved, not Oslo’s.
The moment underlines a curious twist in global politics: two leaders that are criticized for upending diplomatic norms, finding common cause in a shared narrative of misunderstood peacemakers. For Trump, whose political comeback hinges on promises to end wars and restore order, Putin’s endorsement may not bring a medal, but it does bring something else, attention. And in Trump’s world, that might just be prize enough.
