Oleksandr Merezhko from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party and chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee told the Ukrainian daily Kyiv Independent that his nomination aimed to “attract Trump’s attention so that he could help Ukraine to survive.”
In a letter to the Nobel Committee, Merezhko wrote: “I believe that Trump has made a significant contribution to world peace and that he can make an even greater contribution in the future.”
He pointed to Donald Trump’s mediation efforts during his presidency, including brokering agreements between Israel and Muslim countries like the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.
“Trump also laid the foundations for today’s international coalition for Ukraine support by demonstrating global leadership in supplying arms to counter Russia’s brutal and illegal war of aggression,” the MP wrote, referring to Trump’s decision to provide Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles.
Merezhko added that Trump could help achieve “a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace based on the UN Charter” and that during his presidential campaign he had pledged to end the war, promising in September to negotiate a deal “that would benefit both sides.”
The nomination has sparked mixed reactions, with critics pointing to Trump’s good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his criticism of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
Other Ukrainian politicians worry Trump’s calls to quickly end the war might pressure Kyiv to cede territory.
