Lukashenko proposes Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Trump, citing potential role in Russia-Ukraine peace
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has floated the idea of awarding Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, raising eyebrows on the international stage. Back in 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump was nominated for the Nobel Prize for his efforts to mediate conflicts involving Israel and Palestinian territories, North and South Korea, and India and Pakistan. Lukashenko recently expressed that if Trump were to put forth effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war, he could become a worthy recipient of the prestigious award.
“If the future 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump, succeeds in ending all wars on the planet, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there is a strong chance he will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” Lukashenko remarked at a journalists’ lumberjack championship, adding that Trump must remember the commitments he made during his previous campaign.
During a gathering at the Lumberjack Championship in Belarus, a unique event held annually, Lukashenko addressed not only the U.S. elections but also touched on Trump’s claim that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. The Belarusian leader opined that if Trump “doesn’t forget” about these promises and successfully follows through, he would have made a significant contribution to peace, justifying a Nobel nomination from Belarus.
"We will submit a petition for the Nobel Prize, and he will be honored for doing a noble deed. There is hope he'll keep his promises," Lukashenko told journalists. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that achieving peace requires both parties’ willingness to negotiate, while stopping short of specifying which other countries might be involved.
“This is not a unilateral process. An agreement needs to be reached, and maybe not just with Russia. It involves many countries,” Lukashenko concluded.
Back in 2020, Trump had already been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a nomination submitted by Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde. The basis for the nomination was Trump’s attempts to mediate between Israel and the UAE, Israel and Palestinian entities, India and Pakistan, and North and South Korea. However, that year, the prestigious accolade was given to the United Nations World Food Programme, as reported by BBC.
Notably, Lukashenko was among the first to congratulate Trump during his previous campaign victory. Trump, a leading Republican, had boldly declared he could end the Ukraine war within a day. On November 7, The Washington Post outlined the key points of Trump’s peace plan, which included freezing the war and having Ukraine defer NATO membership for the next decade. Continued arms supplies to the Ukrainian Forces are also part of the strategy, alongside threatening to halt military aid altogether unless they agree to Trump's terms. However, The Washington Post report did not clarify how Trump plans to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin in this plan.