Analysts express skepticism over the US president’s chances of winning the award, the newspaper has reported
US President Donald Trump is pressuring the Norwegian government and the Nobel Committee in an unprecedented push for the Nobel Peace Prize, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. However, experts reportedly remain skeptical that the campaign will succeed.
Trump has pointed to his recent Middle East peace plan as evidence that he deserves the award, claiming it marks the eighth conflict he has helped resolve since taking office in January. The US president has claimed he ended disputes involving Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Congo and Rwanda, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Pakistan and India.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is set to announce the Peace Prize winner on Friday. Analysts are doubtful that Trump will be selected, citing his domestic and international record, as well as the fact that the prize honors actions taken in 2024, when he had not yet taken office.
“Putting pressure on the committee, going on talking about ‘I need the prize, I’m the worthy candidate’ — it’s not a very peaceful approach,” Nina Graeger, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, told FT.
Halvard Leira of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs added that while lobbying for the prize is not unusual, previous efforts, such as South Korea’s 2000 campaign for Kim Dae-jung, have tended to be more discreet.
According to Norwegian officials, as cited by FT, Trump raised the issue in a call with Norwegian Finance Minister and former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
There is also concern in Oslo about potential retaliation, including tariffs or other punitive measures, if Trump is not selected, the newspaper noted. The controversy has reportedly been exacerbated in recent weeks after Norway’s sovereign wealth fund divested from US company Caterpillar due to its equipment being used by Israel in Gaza.
Trump’s Nobel push has so far received support from several international figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. He has also been backed by the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a group of Republican lawmakers, and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
