Several countries including Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia have nominated Trump for brokering peace agreements or ceasefires, and he has said he deserves the Norwegian-bestowed accolade that four White House predecessors received.
US President Donald Trump called Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg unexpectedly last month, raising both trade tariffs and his ambition to secure the Nobel Peace Prize.
The conversation, first reported by Norwegian daily Dagens Næringsliv on Thursday, was later confirmed to POLITICO by a government official in Oslo. According to the paper, it was not the first occasion on which Trump had brought up the prize in talks with Stoltenberg.
Trump, who has been nominated by countries including Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia for mediating peace deals or ceasefires, has earlier said he deserves the Norwegian-awarded honour, which has gone to four former US presidents.
”Out of the blue, while Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called,” Dagens Naeringsliv reported, citing unnamed sources.
”He wanted the Nobel Prize – and to discuss tariffs.”
With hundreds of candidates nominated each year, laureates are chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose five members are appointed by Norway’s parliament according to the will of Swedish 19th century industrialist Alfred Nobel.
The announcement comes in October in Oslo.
The Norwegian newspaper said it was not the first time Trump had brought up the prize in conversation with Stoltenberg, a former secretary general of the NATO military alliance.
It quoted Stoltenberg as saying the call was to discuss trade tariffs and economic cooperation ahead of Trump’s call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Stoere.
Asked if Trump made the Nobel prize an issue, Stoltenberg said: ”I will not go further into the content of the conversation.”
Several White House officials, including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were on the call, Stoltenberg said.
The White House on July 31 announced a 15% tariff on imports from Norway, the same as the European Union.
Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that Norway and the United States were still in talks regarding the tariffs.
With inputs from agencies