'He deserved it': Netanyahu, Putin speak out in support of Donald Trump after Nobel Peace Prize snub; Maria Corina Machado named winner

As the Nobel Peace Prize was announced on Friday, Venezuelan activist was named the winner, while world leaders such as Netanyahu and Putin, who had supported Trump for the award, asserted that he deserved to win.

"The Nobel Committee talks about peace. President @realDonaldTrump makes it happen. The facts speak for themselves. President #Trump deserves it," said Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



President Vladimir Putin also voiced support for Trump while blasting the Nobel Committee for its decision to award the prize to others. He told reporters in Tajikistan, “Trump is definitely making an effort and working on these issues — on achieving peace and resolving complex international affairs. The clearest example of that is the situation in the Middle East," as quotes by Moscow Times.

“Whether the current US. president deserves the Nobel Prize or not, I don’t know. But he is truly doing a lot to resolve complex crises that have dragged on for years, even decades,” Putin added. He further criticized the committee, saying it had awarded the prize to “people who did nothing for peace” and that “those decisions have done enormous damage to the prize’s reputation.”

The Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado, a leading figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, has long defied Nicolás Maduro’s repressive regime, facing arrests, threats, and political persecution while inspiring millions through peaceful resistance and advocacy for free elections.

On the other hand, US President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly claimed he deserved the award for brokering international deals, including the Gaza ceasefire, was passed over. Experts noted that the committee had made its decision well before recent agreements. Historian Asle Sveen told AFP, “The Gaza deal has absolutely no significance for the choice of the 2025 laureate because the Nobel Committee has already made its decision.”

Trump has criticized previous laureates, including Barack Obama, and touted his own efforts to resolve international conflicts. However, his tenure has also been marked by domestic controversies, immigration crackdowns, trade wars, and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.

The Nobel Peace Prize, first awarded in 1901, includes a diploma, gold medal, and $1.2 million cash award. The 2025 prize had 338 nominations, which remain confidential for 50 years. Last year’s award went to Nihon Hidankyo, a survivors’ organisation campaigning against nuclear weapons.