Zelensky Says Ukraine Will Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize If He Ends War with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is prepared to nominate U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he succeeds in securing a ceasefire with Russia. Speaking to journalists on October 8, Zelensky noted that Kyiv would formally support Trump’s nomination should his mediation efforts bring an end to the ongoing full-scale invasion.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to broker a swift peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, promising to halt the war that has now lasted more than three and a half years. However, progress toward such a deal has stalled as Moscow continues to reject calls for a ceasefire and insists on territorial concessions from Kyiv.

The U.S. president has made no secret of his desire for international recognition, frequently referring to his role in ending “seven wars” since returning to office and openly campaigning for a Nobel Peace Prize. Several world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have already expressed support for his nomination.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told the state news agency TASS on October 10 that Russia would back Trump’s candidacy for the award. The statement came ahead of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s announcement of the 2025 Peace Prize, scheduled for October 10. However, nominations for this year closed in January, meaning any recent endorsements, including those from Kyiv or Moscow, will not be considered for this cycle.

Trump’s early pledge to end the war “within 24 hours” has since softened, with the U.S. leader admitting that the process proved “a little harder” than he initially expected. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov recently remarked that the “momentum for peace” has weakened since Trump’s August 15 meeting with Putin in Alaska, which was intended to lay the groundwork for direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Although Trump had planned to organize a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin, the effort failed to yield results. Zelensky turned down Putin’s invitation to meet in Moscow, calling it impossible while Russian missiles continue to strike Ukrainian cities. Still, he reiterated his readiness to meet the Russian leader on neutral ground if such talks could lead to a ceasefire.

The Alaska summit itself ended prematurely, with planned discussions on U.S.-Russia cooperation canceled at the last minute. Two months later, no concrete progress has been achieved, and the prospects for peace remain uncertain.

In parallel with his Ukraine-Russia mediation efforts, Trump has also been pursuing peace in the Middle East. On October 8, he announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan, further bolstering his image as an active peacemaker on multiple fronts.