The US President Donald Trump administration criticized the Nobel Committee. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
Trump’s team accused the Nobel Peace Prize of being awarded for political reasons. According to The Washington Post, the award being given to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado caused dissatisfaction within the Trump administration.
In a statement, the President’s Communications Director Steven Chung emphasized that Trump will continue his efforts to ensure international peace and end wars. Nevertheless, the official statement did not provide information about the Nobel laureate or the possible US response.
Donald Trump has sought to win the Nobel Peace Prize in recent years and has tried to present himself as a peace advocate. He said that if the prize is not awarded to him, it would be an insult to the country.
In particular, the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and HAMAS on October 9, following Trump’s calls, intensified debates. Norwegian media are extensively covering the announcement of the award and its consequences.
While the national broadcaster NRK discussed whether the US might punish Norway, the TV2 channel called awarding the prize to another candidate an insult to Trump. According to Oslo University professor Benedikt Bull, there is a mood of fear in Norway this year because awarding the prize to someone else could lead to economic or political pressure from the US.
Even before the award was announced, some Norwegian politicians expressed concerns. Socialist Left Party leader Kristi Bergstø emphasized that Trump does not always accept the independence of the Nobel Committee.
Former Foreign Minister Jan Petersen said the Norwegian government should be prepared for a possible US reaction. Norway has faced such situations in history.
In 2010, when the prize was awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, China severed diplomatic relations for several years. Norwegian officials reiterate that the Nobel Committee makes its decisions independently.
At the same time, local media report that the laureate was selected before the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza. Thus, the debates surrounding the Nobel Prize once again highlighted the delicate boundary between peace and politics.
