The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated this Friday (10) that “there have been cases in which the Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to people who did nothing for peace”, hours after the Norwegian Committee announced its decision to award the prize to the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado.
“In my opinion, these decisions greatly damaged the prestige of the award,” added Putin, one of Nicolás Maduro’s few allies, at a press conference in Tajikistan.
Putin also praised US President Donald Trump as “doing a lot for peace”, citing the ceasefire in the Middle East as a clear example, but stated that it is not up to him to decide whether or not he is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee declared the award “for his tireless work in promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for his struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
The organization has chosen to focus on Venezuela at this time, in a year dominated by United States President Donald Trump’s repeated public statements that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump has been committed to resolving different conflicts around the world, including the war in Ukraine, which began after Russia’s invasion of the country.
In August, the American president discussed an end to the conflict that has lasted more than three years.
On different occasions, Trump has repeatedly argued that he should win the award, including when speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 23.
Experts believe he did not win this year’s award because “he is affecting the international world order, valued by the committee that chooses the winner.”
At least 338 names were nominated for the 2025 award, 244 individuals and 94 organizations, the list will remain confidential for 50 years.
*With information from CNN in Spanish
