MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, sharply criticising the Nobel Committee for awarding this year’s prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Speaking during an official visit to Tajikistan on Friday, October 10, 2025, Putin said the committee had lost credibility by recognising people who, in his view, had made little contribution to peace.
“Its credibility has largely been lost,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
“There’ve been cases when the Nobel Committee awarded the prize to people who’ve done nothing for peace. That’s damaged the prize’s prestige.”
Putin argued that Trump’s diplomatic efforts, including his recent involvement in peace talks between Israel and Hamas, made him more deserving of the honour.
“Trump is really doing a lot to solve crises that have lasted years, in some cases decades,” he said.
“Trump sincerely is aiming for peace in Ukraine. The most striking example of his peacemaking credentials is the situation in the Middle East.”
The Russian leader’s comments come despite his own country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court’s outstanding warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes.
Putin’s endorsement of Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize marks a rare show of public admiration for the former American president, with whom he shared an often-contentious but occasionally conciliatory relationship during Trump’s first term.
The Nobel Committee announced on Thursday, October 9, 2025, that the 2025 Peace Prize had been awarded to María Corina Machado, a leading Venezuelan opposition figure known for her defiance of President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Machado was recognised for her advocacy for judicial independence, human rights, and democratic reform in Venezuela.
Her selection sparked strong reactions across the political spectrum.
Supporters hailed the decision as a tribute to Latin America’s pro-democracy movements, while critics — including Putin — claimed it reflected political bias.
Putin’s remarks add to the controversy surrounding the Nobel Committee’s decision, drawing attention to Trump’s renewed global activism.
The former U.S. president has recently positioned himself as a mediator in multiple international crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Despite facing criticism at home and abroad, Trump has continued to tout his record as a dealmaker and peace broker.
His efforts, including what he described as the “first phase” of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, have become a cornerstone of his foreign policy narrative as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
For Putin, however, the issue appeared to be less about Trump’s political ambitions and more about what he described as the Nobel Committee’s declining standards.
“The prize should be about genuine peace, not politics,” he said.
“Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.”
