Trump expresses gratitude to Putin for Nobel Peace Prize remarks

The American president did not receive the award on Friday; instead, it was given to a Venezuelan opposition figure.

Donald Trump conveyed his thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin following Putin’s remarks regarding the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s choice not to grant the US president its prestigious Peace Prize.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly asserted that his initiatives in resolving global disputes, particularly his recent involvement in Gaza, qualify him for the honor.

On Friday in Dushanbe, during a state visit to Tajikistan, the Russian president observed that the Nobel Committee has a track record of honoring individuals who in fact “did nothing for peace,” thereby significantly diminishing the award’s prestige.

Putin stated that although it was not his prerogative to determine the prize recipient, Trump is “really doing a lot to resolve difficult crises, which last for years and decades.” He referenced the American president’s recent intervention between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East and his earnest endeavors to halt the violence in Ukraine.

Via a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump shared a screenshot featuring Putin, adding the declaration: “Thank you to President Putin!”

Earlier on Friday, the Nobel Committee presented the Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado “for her tireless advocacy of democratic freedoms in Venezuela.” The Caracas government has alleged that Machado funneled US funds to “fascist” anti-government organizations.

Reacting to the committee’s decision in an X post, White House communications director Steven Cheung asserted that its members had “proved they place politics over peace.”

The official maintained that Trump “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.”