Nobel Peace Prize Overshadowed by Trump's 'Ghost': Any Choice Will Spark Political Interpretation

U.S. President Donald Trump is not considered a leading candidate for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, but he is casting a heavy shadow over the discussions on selecting the winner, AFP reported on the 7th (local time).

The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce this year's peace prize winner on the 9th.

Since returning to the White House in January of last year, President Trump has repeatedly claimed that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and has publicly expressed his disappointment at not having won it yet.

The chances of him winning this year are slim.

Factors diminishing his prospects include the war with Iran, territorial ambitions regarding Greenland, and an aggressive stance against international cooperative organizations and the media.

Although President Trump has recently scaled back his public demands for the Nobel Prize, experts believe that regardless of whom the Nobel Committee chooses, the decision is likely to be perceived as a direct or indirect criticism of Trump.

Henrik Urdal, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), compared President Trump to a "ghost in the room" (an unease weighing down all parties).

He said that considering the White House's reaction, the Nobel Committee is likely asking itself whether "awarding this prize might do more harm than good."

The Nobel Committee maintains that outside pressure does not influence its evaluations.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Committee, emphasized, "There is always a great deal of lobbying going on, and ultimately there may be attempts to pressure the committee. We do not avoid discussing the matter, but it does not influence the final decision."

Last year's Nobel Peace Prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

At the time, that choice was evaluated as a decision that President Trump could accept with relatively little reluctance.

Afterwards, following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Machado claimed that President Trump deserved the peace prize and even dedicated her Nobel medal to him.

However, she failed to secure political support from President Trump in return.

Mentioned as candidates for this year's prize include the charity Save the Children, Mykola Kuleba, founder of the aid organization "Save Ukraine" which helps return Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia, and Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms (ERR), a volunteer relief network amid civil war and famine.

There are also candidates who might make President Trump uncomfortable.

Representative examples include Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories; Pope Leo XIV; the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); and the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A total of 287 candidates, combining individuals and organizations, have been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

According to PRIO, state-based armed conflicts reached 65 last year, the highest number since 1946.

Harpviken stated, "Overall, it is clear that the world is not heading in the right direction," while adding, "At the same time, there is no shortage of individuals and organizations doing good work."

He noted, "The peace prize can carry more meaning than ever before."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.