The Peace Prize Paradox: Why Trump Demands, but Hasn't Earned, the Nobel

 Donald Trump genuinely believes he has earned the Nobel Peace Prize-after all, he claims to have ended seven wars in less than a year of his presidency. Such efficiency would be the envy of any politician or even a saint. However, many are convinced that Trump has not ended a single war.

 The Nobel Peace Prize - perhaps the most newsworthy of all the Nobel awards - has long ceased to generate much media interest. This is because the laureates who have received it have generally been uninteresting, arguably since 2009, when the prize was given in advance (for eloquent speeches) to the newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama. This is the same person who subsequently actively participated in unleashing a series of civil wars in the Arab world-the so-called Arab Spring-which destroyed two states (Syria and Libya) and fueled a new surge of Islamic extremism.

Since then, the prize has been awarded to relatively unknown figures such as Liberian human rights activist Leymah Gbowee, Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman, and Belarusian opposition figure Ales Bialiatski. It has also been given to bureaucrats from the EU, the UN World Food Program, and staff from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (the latter for standing aside while Vladimir Putin solved the problem of removing chemical weapons from Syria). And to politicians from the Global South for regional successes, such as Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and former Colombian President Juan Santos.

However, the current award ceremony (scheduled for October 10) has already attracted the attention of the entire global press. This is because U.S. President Donald Trump is effectively demanding that the prize be given to him. Whatever decision the Nobel Committee makes, it will be overshadowed by a colossal scandal.

The Illusion of Peace

Trump himself genuinely believes he has earned the Nobel Prize - after all, he claims to have ended seven wars in less than a year of his presidency.

However, many are convinced that Trump has not ended a single war:

• The Thai-Cambodian military conflict, which flared up over border disputes, quickly "burned out" and froze again-no one needed a war in Southeast Asia.
• Similarly, in South Asia, the Indo-Pakistani escalation also ceased rather quickly on its own accord.
• The Israeli-Iranian conflict (in which the U.S. actively participated) has not ended-the parties only signed a truce, which will not turn into peace because of Iran's refusal to abandon its legitimate, peaceful nuclear program.
• The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the memorandum for the conclusion of which was signed in Trump's presence, had already ended before he took office, when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan conceded first Nagorno-Karabakh and then the interests of Armenia itself.
• The Egyptian-Ethiopian contradictions, which the U.S. attempted to mediate, are extremely difficult to resolve, as they arose because the colossal dam built in Ethiopia (a source of national pride) is causing the Nile River to shrink (a source of life and a key tool for feeding Egypt's hundred-million population).
• Finally, the war between Hamas and Israel, in the conclusion of which Trump will indeed play a colossal role, is not yet over - Hamas is still pondering the peace plan proposed by the American president.
• The Ukrainian conflict, for the resolution of which Trump could truly be awarded the Nobel Prize, is still far from being resolved - partly because of the indecisiveness of the current White House resident, who is not yet ready to abandon the Kiev nationalists to their fate. Only when he abandons them, sits down with Vladimir Putin, and signs papers on the stabilization of Russian-Western relations will Trump have earned the prize.

One could, of course, give him the award for not starting the wars he promised. For example, a war with Denmark over the annexation of Greenland. A war with Canada over its annexation as another state. A war with Panama over the return of the Panama Canal. A war with Venezuela - allegedly as part of the fight against drug trafficking. Finally, a trade war with the rest of the world, based on the claim that other countries are purportedly exploiting American producers and parasitizing the U.S. market.

However, firstly, it would be shameful to give the Nobel Prize for such things. Secondly, this would, again, be a prize given in advance - to a man who might not live up to the expectations placed upon him and, for example, start a war with Venezuela or Iran just weeks after being awarded the prize.

The Committee's Dilemma

On the other hand, not giving Trump the prize is also extremely risky. The egocentrism of the White House resident knows no bounds, and a refusal would be perceived by him as a personal insult to himself and the entire American people. Moreover, he would view it as an insult not only from the Nobel Committee but from the entire European liberal establishment (whose interests this Nobel Committee protects). And Europe is currently flattering Trump profusely-not to spoil everything by withholding the medal.

After all, if Donald Trump does not get what he wants, he may express his anger by distancing himself from the Ukrainian conflict and from supporting the European position in it.

And that is precisely why, for the progressive forces of peace, it is advantageous that Donald Trump does not receive his medal right now. Let him be angry at Europe and let him do everything possible to earn it in 2026.