When Rwandan and Congolese leaders signed a peace treaty at the White House on June 27, it addressed one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last half-century—a war whose death toll numbers in the millions. This alone exemplifies why Donald Trump deserves serious consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize.
By Alfred Nobel’s original intent, the Peace Prize should go to those who actually end wars, not those who merely talk about it. In 2025, Trump has brokered real agreements between sworn enemies and stepped directly into the world’s most dangerous conflicts.
The Congo-Rwanda agreement commits Rwanda to withdraw troops within 90 days, mandates rebel militia disarmament and establishes regional economic integration backed by US and Gulf investment. This isn’t a photo-op—it’s a framework for ending decades of bloodshed.
In the South Caucasus, Trump hosted Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to sign an accord ending their Nagorno-Karabakh fighting while opening a new transit corridor linking their economies. For the first time in decades, genuine coexistence could exist in this diplomatic graveyard.
In the Middle East, Trump brokered a cease-fire between Israel and Iran—nations that until recently treated each other’s destruction as non-negotiable. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has formally nominated Trump for the Nobel, calling his role “extraordinary and historic.”
In Southeast Asia, Trump mediated a Cambodia-Thailand border settlement, ending a years-long standoff. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet submitted his nomination soon after.
This geographic breadth spanning four continents is unprecedented for a single year. Trump has simultaneously engaged in conflicts where “established” diplomacy failed for decades. This represents exactly the “fraternity between nations” Nobel’s will sought to honor.
Now Trump faces his ultimate test: Ukraine and Russia. Unlike Western leaders who have relied on intermediaries, he has met directly with both Zelensky and Putin, following last week’s Alaska summit. Could this open the door to an unprecedented trilateral summit?
With Zelensky set to meet Trump in Washington soon, the stakes are rising. By stepping into the arena rather than offering distant aspirations, Trump signals a bold, Nobel-level ambition.
Critics note Trump’s polarizing record makes him an unlikely laureate. Some claim his diplomacy serves US strategic interests or is “transactional.” But the Nobel Prize was never reserved for saints. Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Kissinger and Yasser Arafat—all polarizing figures who nonetheless reduced bloodshed—were all recipients of the prize. The committee judges outcomes, not personal purity.
The contrast with 2009 is instructive. US President Barack Obama received the prize nine months into his presidency for “hope” and vision, with few concrete results. Years later, Nobel officials admitted the award was premature. Trump’s case, on the other hand, rests on signed agreements, troop withdrawals and altered geopolitical realities.
Trump’s unconventional approach—bypassing diplomatic choreography, dealing directly with heads of state—unsettles the foreign-policy establishment. But where established diplomacy has failed for decades, his tack has produced results.
The Nobel Committee’s credibility depends on rewarding peace that survives press conferences. If the prize is to retain moral weight, it should go to whoever has most reduced armed conflict in a given year. By that standard, Trump’s 2025 record is formidable:
- A peace treaty in Central Africa
- A corridor agreement in the Caucasus
- A ceasefire between Israel and Iran
- A ceasefire between India and Pakistan
- A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia in Southeast Asia
- Direct engagement in the Ukraine–Russia war
If the Nobel committee believes in rewarding real peace over poetic aspiration, Trump should be on the shortlist. By year’s end, he could easily be the winner.
Kurt Davis Jr is a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He advises private, public, and state-owned companies and creditors globally on cross-border transactions. Contact him on LinkedIn
