AFP reported on August 3 (local time) that U.S. President Donald Trump is obsessed with the Nobel Peace Prize, and that the Nobel Prize has become a tool for flattery in diplomacy.

Recently, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol announced that the government plans to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

US President Donald Trump (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photo by EPA Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handed President Trump a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize, which he had sent to the Nobel Committee, during a dinner with Trump. Pakistan also officially announced its nomination of President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his mediation of a ceasefire with India. In addition, the leaders of five African countries?Gabon, Mauritania, Senegal, Liberia, and Guinea-Bissau?praised President Trump during talks, saying he fully deserves to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt claimed on July 31, "President Trump should have already received the Nobel Peace Prize," and added, "Since taking office, President Trump has, on average, mediated one peace agreement or ceasefire per month." She cited examples of mediation between India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Egypt and Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Serbia and Kosovo. She also mentioned the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. However, she made no mention of the Russia-Ukraine war or the Gaza war, both of which President Trump had repeatedly pledged to end on his first day in office.

Caroline Levitt White House Press Secretary. Photo by AP Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

President Trump himself has repeatedly stated his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In February, he said, "I am qualified to win, but they will never give it to me." In June, he complained on his social media platform Truth Social, "No matter what I achieve in Russia-Ukraine or Israel-Iran, no matter what I do, I will never receive the Nobel Peace Prize."

However, some strongly oppose even nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Emma Shortis, an American historian and political researcher, wrote in the nonprofit media outlet 'The Conversation' that "nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like sending a hyena into a dog show."

President Trump's obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize appears to stem from a rivalry with former President Barack Obama. During the presidential campaign last October, President Trump said, "If my name were Obama, I would have received the Nobel Prize in 10 seconds."

Garrett Martin, professor of international relations at American University, pointed out, "President Trump has consistently compared himself to and created a rivalry with former President Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, ever since he began considering a presidential run more than a decade ago." Former President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize just nine months after taking office.

The list of current Nobel Peace Prize nominees remains confidential unless the nominators disclose it themselves, but the number of nominees is made public. This year, a total of 338 people have been nominated. On some betting sites, President Trump ranks second, behind Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny.