Countdown begins for Nobel Peace Prize announcement! Norway braces for diplomatic fallout if Trump doesn't win

The Norwegian Nobel committee members are all set to announce on Friday (Oct 10) the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. It is the first time in the award's 125-year history that the media have been allowed and several international networks shared glimpses of behind-the-scenes of the process that decides the Peace Prize winner. As the world awaits the announcement, a name that has figured along with every discussion around the Nobel Prize is US President Donald Trump. Norwegian politicians, with around an hour to go until the announcement feared for potential repercussions to US-Norway relations if Trump is not awarded the awarded. Earlier in July, Trump reportedly called Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s finance minister and the former NATO secretary general, to ask about the Nobel prize. At his UN address, Trump claimed that he had halted seven “unendable wars”, adding “Everyone says I should get the Nobel peace prize.”

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Speaking to the Guardian, Kirsti Bergstø, Norway’s Socialist Left Party leader warned that Norway must be ready for unpredictable reactions from Donald Trump if he is not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She criticised Trump’s leadership style, calling it authoritarian and extreme, and expressed concerns over his alleged attacks on democratic institutions and civil liberties in the US.

Arild Hermstad, leader of Norway’s Green Party defended the Nobel Committee’s impartiality and stressed that the prize should reflect genuine, long-term contributions to peace—not public pressure or social media theatrics. While he acknowledged Trump’s recent role in supporting a Gaza ceasefire, he argued that one act cannot outweigh years of divisive rhetoric and actions.

Meanwhile, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of Norwegian Nobel Institute, clarified that the decision for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize had already been finalised earlier in the week. He reaffirmed that the process is non-political, though he admitted that the fact the committee is appointed by the Norwegian parliament may blur perceptions of complete neutrality.

Read More |From ceasefires to Accords: Can US President Donald Trump really win the Nobel Peace Prize?

'They will find a reason...', says Donald Trump

On Wednesday (October 8), Trump was asked about his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize this year. His response was characteristically self-assured, yet laced with a hint of skepticism. "I have no idea... Marco would tell you we settled seven wars. We're close to settling an eighth. I think we'll end up settling the Russia situation," he said, underscoring the scale of what he claims to be his diplomatic triumphs. "I don’t think anybody in history has settled that many," Trump said confidently. Despite this, he added that he feels the Nobel Peace Prize may not be in his future, alluding to the possibility that the Norwegian Nobel Committee will find a reason to overlook him. "But perhaps they’ll find a reason not to give it to me," he quipped, seemingly acknowledging that, despite his diplomatic record, the prestigious award might elude him."

Read More | Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Will Trump Get His Wish?