US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said it would be a “big insult” to the United States if he is denied the Nobel Peace Prize, highlighting his efforts in resolving conflicts around the world, including his past claims of easing tensions between India and Pakistan.
Trump ties Nobel hopes to Gaza peace plan after India-Pak
Speaking at an event with top generals in Quantico, Virginia, Trump claimed he has already helped resolve seven global conflicts, and with his new 20-point Gaza peace plan, the number could rise to eight. “If this works out, we’ll have eight in eight months. Nobody’s ever done that. Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not,” Trump said, according to The Hill.
Trump claimed that while he personally is not interested in the Nobel Prize, overlooking him would be a “big insult” to the United States. He added that any recognition should be seen as an honour for the country, not just for him and that “there’s never been anything like it.”
Trump recalls India-Pakistan claim
While delivering his speech, the MAGA leader again brought up his role in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan, saying it was one of many examples of US diplomacy under his leadership. “Nobody has done what we’ve done,” he said and added that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
“They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing. They’ll give it to the guy who wrote a book about the mind of Donald Trump and what it took to solve the wars,” he continued. “The Nobel Prize will go to a writer.”
Qatar and Egypt relay plan to Hamas
Trump said his Gaza plan, supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has already been passed on to Hamas by Qatar and Egypt. Several foreign ministers from Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also voiced support in the favour of the United States.
He further claimed a ceasefire in Gaza could be near, adding that Israel and Arab and Muslim nations have accepted his 20-point peace plan. The proposal includes creating an international “board of peace” to reconstruct and govern Gaza if Hamas accepts the deal. Netanyahu, however, warned that if Hamas rejects it, Israel won’t stop its military campaign. Trump on Tuesday, told reporters, “I said, ‘How long have you been fighting?’ ‘Three thousand years, sir.’ That’s a long time, but we got it, I think, settled. We’ll see.”
Trump’s campaign has been praising his foreign policy record for months as they lobby for the Nobel ahead of the Norwegian committee’s December decision. So far, he has received nominations from Pakistan, Cambodia, Israel and several Republican lawmakers.
Trump on Russia-Ukraine War
During his speech, Trump also took a jab at the Russian President. Trump criticised Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine, saying Russia is struggling militarily with thousands of soldiers killed on both sides weekly. “I’m so disappointed in President Putin,” Trump said. “I thought he would get this thing over with. He should have had that war done in a week. Are you a paper tiger?”
Trump recently met Putin in Alaska and had requested for a summit between him and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, he admitted that US diplomacy has so far failed to stop the fighting.