Donald Trump's intense pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize is shaping his foreign policy, with allies making last-ditch appeals to the Norwegian Nobel Committee hours before the award is announced. The US president has openly coveted the prize for years, and his recent efforts to broker peace deals in Gaza and Ukraine are believed to be motivated by this ambition.
On Thursday, as news broke of a landmark agreement between Israel and Hamas, Republican congressman Brian Mast urged the Nobel committee to award Trump the prize, saying on Fox News: 'Those academics and elites sitting in Norway need to give President Trump the Nobel peace prize.' Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy also voiced support, stating: 'President Donald Trump deserves that Nobel peace prize.' Trump later thanked both men on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Trump has been actively lobbying behind the scenes, including a phone call this summer to Norway's finance minister, Jens Stoltenberg, to discuss the Nobel prize and tariffs. He frequently claims to have ended multiple wars since returning to the White House, a comment seen by diplomats as a signal to the committee. 'Anytime he is talking about solving seven wars, he is really sending a message: give me the Nobel,' said a senior European diplomat based in Washington.
The Nobel prize is believed to have been a key motivator in Trump's recent push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, including a summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. However, after Putin remained unmoved, Trump shifted focus to Gaza. The timeline for the Nobel announcement influenced the peace process, with officials aiming for a deal by Friday, the same day as the committee's decision. Former negotiator Doron Hadar told the Washington Post that the 'Friday morning deadline is shaping the timeline.'
In an ironic twist, the Norwegian committee confirmed it held its final meeting on Monday, two days before Trump announced the first phase of the Gaza peace deal on Truth Social. Despite the overt ambition, even critics of the war have praised the agreement. Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin wrote: 'This is definitely a morning for celebration. The war is ending.'
