United States President Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports. The US president was nominated by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, who praised Trump for his efforts towards resolving global conflicts, particularly a peace deal Trump helped broker between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News that he thinks Trump has done more than most other Nobel Peace Prize nominees in trying to create peace between nations. He is a four-term member of the Parliament who also serves as the chairman of the Norwegian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
In his nomination letter, Tybring-Gjedde wrote, “As it is expected, other Middle Eastern countries will follow in the footsteps of the UAE, this agreement could be a game-changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity.”
He also mentioned that the president played a key role in facilitating contact between conflicting parties and creating new dynamics in other protracted conflicts. He cited examples of the Kashmir border dispute between India and Pakistan, and the conflict between North and South Korea among others.
Tybring-Gjedde also praised Trump for withdrawing large numbers of US troops from the Middle East. He had earlier submitted a nomination for Trump in 2018, following the president’s North Korea summit.
More than 300 organisations and individuals have been nominated for the award in 2020. The winner will be announced in October.
US presidents who have previously won the prestigious prize include Barack Obama in 2009, Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, President Woodrow Wilson in 1920 and President Jimmy Carter in 2002. The 2021 winner will not be announced until October next year.
Trump previously implied that he deserved the prize, after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the award in 2019. In remarks made in January 2020, Trump claimed he, not Ahmed, was key in brokering peace in the African nation, and did not formally congratulate Ahmed.
With inputs from DW