​​Donald Trump​ makes last-minute appeal for Nobel Peace Prize - 'I'm not bragging!'

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave President Trump her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal in January as she sought US support for her efforts.

Since his return to the White House last year, the President has repeatedly said he deserves the accolade.

President Trump said: "I don't know what [the Norwegian Nobel Committee's] decision is going to be. They have a reputation for maybe not giving it to people like me.

"It is about that time, but I was very honoured to receive it indirectly last time from the recipient, who said nobody in history deserves it more than President Trump."

The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated President Trump; however, there is no way of verifying that.

Parties to some conflicts President Trump claims to have resolved dispute the US president's diplomatic role, and fighting has flared again in some of those regions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and along the border between Cambodia and Thailand.

Donald Trump has long claimed he deserves the prestigious award

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President Trump said he'd saved millions of lives and "stopped maybe the total obliteration of the world" through his bid to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

A resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine has eluded President Trump, who promised to end it on the first day of his second White House term.

US-Israel strikes on Iran have led to a seven-month simmering conflict that has upended global energy supplies and driven gas prices up before November's midterm elections.

Pope Leo, the International Criminal Court, and the special rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese are among the favourites to win this year.

Pope Leo has been tipped as a frontrunner for this year's award

REUTERS

According to Haakon Gjerloew, acting director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, the five-strong judging body will be mindful of picking someone who can withstand pressure from Trump,

He said: "I think last year's events around the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado giving it to Trump afterwards, will affect some of the considerations that they make.

"One worry the committee might have is whether awarding it to someone could put them under pressure from Donald Trump.

"I think the committee will consider whether the award does more harm than good."

The Nobel Peace Prize is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious accolades

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Pope Leo, has said he would continue to speak out against war, after President Trump called him "weak" for criticising the US conflict with Iran.

The Pope's encyclical on AI, his advocacy for dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, his calls for respect for migrants and his humanitarian work could justify a prize.

Karim Haggag, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said: "The Pope stands [for] more than just as a religious figure. He has emerged as a leading thought leader,"

Ms Albanese, meanwhile, has been under fire from the US and Israel for her criticism of Israel's conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank.

Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, is one of those tipped for the award

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Mr Trump is hoping to become the fifth US President to win the prize, following Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

Oeivind Stenersen, a historian and expert on the Nobel Peace Prize, said the committee is also under scrutiny to address President Trump's approach to global diplomacy.

He said: "[The judges] have a certain pressure...to be tough against Trump.

"In this serious international situation, this year calls for a Peace Prize in defence of liberal democracy, international law and human rights."