US President Donald Trump received unexpected praise from his onetime rival, Hillary Clinton. She suggested that if Trump ended the Russia-Ukraine war without forcing Ukraine to concede territory, she would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Her remarks came during her appearance on Jessica Tarlov’s podcast Raging Moderates. Clinton’s comments added a twist to Trump’s Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without a breakthrough.
Trump Responds With Humour
Trump reacted favorably when Fox News host Bret Baier asked about Clinton’s comments on Special Report aboard Air Force One. “That’s very nice,” Trump said with a smile. “I might have to start liking her again.”
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His response marked a rare moment of levity between two longtime political adversaries. It also reflected Trump’s continuing interest in the Nobel Peace Prize, a topic he has raised often in the past.
Clinton’s Conditions for Support
Clinton explained that her goal was to avoid any capitulation to Putin. She stressed that Trump would only deserve such recognition if he could help Ukraine stand strong while still achieving peace.
“If he could end it without putting Ukraine in a position where it had to concede its territory to the aggressor, could really stand up to Putin, something we haven’t seen, but maybe this is the opportunity,” she said. She underlined that she would back his Nobel nomination only if he became “the architect of that.”
Trump’s Longstanding Nobel Ambition
Trump has often spoken about his wish to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He insists that he does not chase the award, yet he regularly highlights moments when his diplomacy drew praise. After he helped broker peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both nations’ leaders praised him and even promised to nominate him.
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Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said, “I think President Trump deserves to have the Nobel Peace Prize and we will defend that and promote that, that’s obvious.”
Politics Meets Peace
Clinton’s remark may also soften the sharp divide between the two leaders, at least for a moment. The exchange humanised a rivalry that has defined much of recent US politics. Trump’s warm response suggests that even bitter opponents can find common ground in the pursuit of peace.
It also puts the spotlight on whether Trump can move beyond rhetoric and deliver results in Ukraine, where his Alaska summit with Putin ended without progress.
