Washington: n a surprising turn of events, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that she would propose US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize—if he is able to settle the conflict between Russia and Ukraine without requiring Kyiv to give up any land to Moscow.
Hours before Trump’s crucial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a Cold War-era military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, Clinton made the unexpected statement.
During an interview with the ‘Raging Moderates’ podcast, Clinton stated, “If he could end this terrible war, if he could end it without forcing Ukraine to cede its territory to the aggressor, he could really stand up to Putin—something we haven’t seen—but maybe this is the opportunity.” I would suggest President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize if he was the mastermind behind it.
Clinton said, “He is not meeting a friend,” underscoring the geopolitical implications. He is meeting with an enemy who wants to see the US and the Western alliance destroyed.
Her remarks emphasized the seriousness of the Alaska conference, which some analysts referred to as a possible watershed in the Eastern European war, which has lasted for over three years.
When Trump beat the former First Lady in a brutal race in the 2016 US presidential election, the Clinton-Trump rivalry began. Clinton criticized Trump’s enthusiasm for authoritarian leaders like Putin throughout that campaign.
“He picks fights with our friends and praises dictators like Vladimir Putin,” she remarked.
She is also well-known for calling Trump “temperamentally unfit” for the the presidency and calling some of his fans a “basket of deplorables.” Trump reciprocated by making fun of Clinton on the campaign trail and then questioning how she handled international affairs while serving as Secretary of State.
Clinton’s comments imply that even she may recognize a breakthrough if Trump is successful in bringing the conflict to a conclusion that benefits Ukraine, despite their tense past.
Critics have questioned how Trump would accomplish his repeated promises to end the conflict in Ukraine “quickly,” especially in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire that Ukraine recognize Russia’s territorial claims and ease Western sanctions. No territorial concessions have been accepted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the conference.
Notably, after the meeting, Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin said that they had achieved progress during their three-hour discussions on Friday, bringing the conflict in Ukraine closer to a conclusion, but they did not immediately declare a ceasefire.
Following Friday’s conference in Alaska, he told a Fox News interviewer, “It’s not a done deal at all.” Ukraine must also concur. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president, must concur.
“I think a lot of points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine, and we had a very good meeting today,” he said.
He said before the summit that he would not be negotiating on Ukraine’s behalf and that the purpose of the gathering was to serve as a sounding board for a direct meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Putin.
Putin described the talks as “constructive and mutually respectful,” saying they had set the stage for peace. He cautioned against provocations that would endanger the process and encouraged Ukraine and European leaders to participate.
Trump agreed, describing the discussions as “extremely productive.”
He pointed out that there were many areas of agreement, including one that was “very significant.”
“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he said.
Before making any official arrangements, Trump promised to confer with Zelensky and important European allies.
