By Ed Mackinnon

On the 10th of October, the 2025 winner of the Nobel peace prize was announced. It was awarded to María Corina Machado for her work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and her struggle for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. However, there is much dispute around who the winner really should have been. Some argue the winner should have been US president Donald Trump. The official Peace Prize page states that the prize is for “…the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. Putting political opinions aside, is Trump even eligible and/or is he a deserving candidate for the award?

Efforts in Israel/Gaza.

Trump has claimed responsibility for mediating the deal between the Israeli government and Hamas and successfully achieving a ceasefire. His plan focuses on releasing hostages, pulling Israeli troops back to certain areas, and opening important border crossings so that aid can reach people in need. Despite Trump’s work, many feel the Gaza ceasefire was not effective; therefore, we shouldn’t acknowledge him with a peace prize for his efforts. While a deal was announced, fighting continued in various places, and other central parts of the agreement were never fully executed. Humanitarian aid remained severely limited since hostilities resumed immediately after it was allowed. Furthermore, both sides aligned with the contacts, but then immediately accused the other side of violating the ceasefire’s terms. In any case, as already noted, Trump’s deal did not resolve the significant long-term issues of who controls Gaza or for how long there could be any arrangement for a peace settlement. Since the “ceasefire” has not brought any real stability or safety to the people there, Trump’s personal engagement has not led to any sustainable Peace, and many would argue he hasn’t deserved recognition such as a peace prize.

Trump’s Impact on Ukraine: Support or Setback?

There is a lot of public discourse about whether Donald Trump deserves a peace prize for his engagements in Ukraine, and the answer is not simple. Some suggest that he has attempted to support negotiations and put forward plans he claims would bring it closer to war. Others cite that his decisions at times have produced ambiguity, especially when military assistance was interrupted or removed and it could have potentially undermined Ukraine during critical junctures in the war. Given that his intervention has been a mixed bag with inchoate resolution or lasting peace, it is difficult to claim action worthy of such a prestigious designation. Just because Trump participated in the process, much of the public thinks the award is due to those that have repeatedly put forward concrete procedural or substantial steps to end the war and restabilise the area.

So, should Trump receive the peace prize in the near future?

Overall, it seems that Trump is not likely to receive the peace prize soon due to the fact that currently his attempts to end global conflicts and promote world peace have not been successful. As previously mentioned, the official peace prize page says ““…the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. Although the US president has promoted peace through his diplomacy between countries at war, he has been unable to set up long lasting peace in Ukraine and Gaza. Therefore it seems unlikely that Trump is even eligible for the peace prize and as a result it seems unlikely he will be awarded it anytime soon especially as his reputation has degraded over the last few months.