Putin Faults Nobel Committee For Overlooking Trump, Says Award Has Gone To People Who Did ‘Nothing For Peace’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticised the Nobel Committee for overlooking U.S. President Donald Trump in this year’s Peace Prize selection, accusing the body of having “largely lost credibility.”

Speaking during a visit to Tajikistan on Friday, Putin defended Trump after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado instead of the American president, who had openly lobbied for the honour.

“There’ve been cases when the Nobel Committee awarded the prize to people who’ve done nothing for peace,” Putin said, according to Politico Europe. “That’s damaged the prize’s prestige.”

While the Russian leader stopped short of explicitly saying Trump should have won, he praised him for “doing a lot to solve crises that have lasted years — in some cases, decades.”

“Donald sincerely is aiming for peace,” Putin added. “The most striking example is the situation in the Middle East.”

Putin’s comments came just days after Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the “first phase” of a ceasefire deal to end the Gaza war, a truce Israel confirmed had taken effect on Friday.

Trump has also claimed credit for brokering peace in several long-running conflicts, though many of those assertions have been disputed by independent fact-checkers.

Despite being wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Putin continued to heap praise on Trump’s diplomacy, suggesting that if the U.S. leader succeeded in achieving all his stated peace goals, “it will be a historic moment.”

Nobel Committee Chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes said Machado, who has been in hiding for over a year for opposing Venezuela’s authoritarian regime, was recognised for “speaking out for judicial independence, human rights, and popular representation.”

“This year’s prize honors courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist authoritarian leadership,” Frydnes stated, in a veiled reference to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Four former U.S. presidents and one vice president have previously received the Nobel Peace Prize: Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Al Gore.

Putin’s praise for Trump marks a rare public show of admiration for a sitting U.S. president, even as the Kremlin leader faces deepening international isolation over the war in Ukraine.

The White House had also lashed out at the Nobel Committee over the award, echoing Putin’s criticism.

In a statement posted on X, White House spokesman Steven Cheung accused the committee of “placing politics over peace,” insisting Trump’s record in global diplomacy made him more deserving of the prize.

“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” Cheung wrote.

Trump has long accused the Nobel Committee of bias, frequently claiming it has “snubbed” him despite his supposed peace achievements.

He recently declared that his administration had “ended eight wars” since he returned to office in January, asserting that awarding the prize to anyone else would be “a big insult” to the United States.

The president did not immediately comment on the Nobel announcement but posted several videos on Truth Social Friday morning showing supporters celebrating the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Nominations for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize closed on January 31, less than two weeks after Trump began his second term, making it unlikely that his latest diplomatic initiatives were considered.

The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded annually in Oslo, Norway, honours individuals or organisations that have made “the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the promotion of peace congresses.”

Although Trump has been nominated several times in the past, he has never won it.(SaharaReporters)