Donald Trump expressed his desire to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but after not receiving the accolade, Vladimir Putin has come to his defense.
Trump was hopeful of winning the Nobel Peace Prize in the current year.
Nonetheless, the prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, recognized for her significant contributions towards democracy in Venezuela.
While it was anticipated that Trump’s supporters would view this as a disappointment, an unexpected endorsement came from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On October 10, Putin spoke favorably of Trump’s global crisis resolution efforts. He also remarked that the prestige of the award had ‘diminished’.
Putin stated: “I don’t know whether the current US president deserves a Nobel Prize. But he’s truly doing a lot to resolve complex crises that last for years, even decades.
“He’s definitely trying, he’s definitely working on these issues, on achieving peace and resolving complex international situations. The most striking example is the situation in the Middle East. If Donald can achieve everything he’s strived for, everything he’s talked about and is trying to accomplish, it will be a historic event.
“But, I repeat, it is not for me to decide whether this is worthy of a prize or not, and whether this prize is worthy of achievements of this kind. That said, the credibility has largely been lost.”
Trump has yet to publicly address Putin’s remarks, but he has responded to missing out on the prize with a statement.
At the White House, he commented: “The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and said ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.’ A really nice thing to do.
“I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me’, though.”
Despite some skepticism on social media regarding Trump’s statements, Machado acknowledged him in a tweet, commending the US president.
She wrote: “This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom.
“We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy.
“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”