Among the many surprising moments at President-elect Donald Trump's campaign rallies this year was his repeated declaration that he should win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Last month, Trump took to the stage. Declare Las Vegas“They gave Obama the Nobel Prize… He won and they announced he would win the Nobel Prize. I won in a much bigger, better, crazier election. But they gave him the Nobel Prize.”
Trump has frequently mentioned being nominated for a Nobel Prize during his campaign, and the last time he was nominated for a seat in the House of Representatives was in October 2024. His previous appointments include Middle East diplomacy, viz. Normalization of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Serbiaand for aid efforts and summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Although these declarations may seem unusual, Trump may actually win the Nobel Peace Prize. As a candidate in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, he confidently said: He declared that he would end the war in one day.. If he can guarantee Ukraine's security and turn the war into a just and lasting peace, he will truly be worthy of a Nobel Prize.
And it won't be your only chance. President Trump has solid prospects for bringing back the Nobel Peace Prize to Mar-a-Lago, starting with ending the wars between Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It could also use its influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Saudi leadership to stop the war in Gaza. Finally, if Trump can peacefully remove Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela and install a new (and fair) president, he may be eligible for a Nobel Prize. Edmundo Gonzalez elected president.
To bring true peace to Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin must be convinced that he cannot win and that time is not on his side. Two weeks ago, I was meeting with government officials, parliamentarians, and civil society leaders in Ukraine, and I was convinced that Ukrainians were convinced that time was on their side because of military and societal manpower shortages. It became clear that he did not.
They will fight as long as they have to, but for them war is about survival, so they felt ready for peace. Meanwhile, the authoritarian Russian government, already under economic pressure even before President Trump's victory, appears reluctant to mobilize further large-scale mobilization of Russian personnel, but President Putin He continues to believe that he can outlive him and his international supporters.
President Trump will have the strength and confidence to tell President Putin that we must build a just and lasting peace. If Russia does not comply, it could threaten to continue supplying arms to Ukraine. He could also persuade Ukraine to give up territory in exchange for U.S. bilateral security (such as with Japan and South Korea) or NATO membership. Given the broad bipartisan support for Ukraine in the Senate and President Trump's potential ability to win over some of the current Republican naysayers, Trump probably has enough power to ratify such a Ukraine security agreement. will get a lot of votes. (Any agreement without Senate ratification would be seen by Kiev as a weak political commitment, subject to the whims of a future regime.)
President Putin recently escalated the invitation 10,000 North Korean troops It called on Russia to help recapture Russian territory occupied by Ukrainian forces. President Biden's decision last month to authorize the use of long-range ATACM missiles into Russian territory and to plant antipersonnel mines is an attempt to counter this move. It would also strengthen Trump's negotiating power with Ukraine.
Armenia and Azerbaijan too A historic peace agreement is just around the cornerending decades of war over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Of a list of 16 that the two governments have negotiated over the years, with the active involvement of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, only two remain unresolved. of Devastating Azerbaijani military operation Clashes in the enclave last year accelerated the process of fleeing and resettling Armenian residents from the enclave (within Azerbaijan's borders) to Armenia.
One of the consequences of Baku's success in Armenia was Feeling betrayed by RussiaThis has effectively provided a deterrent against large-scale invasions from Azerbaijan for decades, but has also ensured that Armenia remains under Russian control.
Last year, Turkey supplied Azerbaijan with drones to ensure the success of Azerbaijan's military operation and the expulsion of Armenians, while Russia threatened the Armenian president, who had already promised to chart a more independent path. It seemed like little was done to help. Country of the Russian Federation.
Just a week before the US election, the leaders of both countries signed a peace deal that looked likely to include resolutions to address two remaining issues. It is currently unclear whether a deal will be reached.
Trump could take this to the finish line. Armenia is keen to normalize with Azerbaijan, as it would reopen the border with Turkey and open up trade opportunities with neighboring countries and the European Union beyond. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev needs to be persuaded to make the necessary final concessions. President Trump will leverage existing business relationships and credibility in Baku and Aliyev's desire to garner U.S. economic investment and access and curry favor with him to resume U.S. military aid. I can.
If President Trump can use his power and influence to bring peace to any of these scenarios, such as peaceful democratic transitions in Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, or Latin America, he will receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It will earn you the right to receive an award.
Evelyn N. Farkas is executive director of the McCain Institute and served as assistant secretary of defense from 2012 to 2015 and as a senior staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 2001 to 2008.
