Cambodia Nominates President Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Cites His Mediation in Ceasefire with Thailand
Cambodia, which recently experienced an armed conflict with Thailand, has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing his role in mediating a ceasefire.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and The Hill on August 1 (local time), Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol announced that the government plans to officially recommend President Trump as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate.
He told the WSJ, "If President Trump had not intervened, the border dispute between our country and Thailand would not have ended," asserting, "He deserves the Nobel Prize not only for his contributions related to Cambodia, but also for his activities in other regions."
Cambodia and Thailand, neighboring countries sharing a border, have long been engaged in territorial disputes over border-area heritage sites such as the Preah Vihear Temple and Moan Thom Temple, both built around the 10th century. Amidst this, tensions erupted at the end of May when a small-scale skirmish at the border area of Nam Yuan in Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeastern Thailand, resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier. The conflict escalated further, and from July 24, both sides engaged in armed clashes involving fighter jets. As a result, 43 people?including civilians and soldiers from both countries?were killed, more than 140 were injured, and about 300,000 people were displaced.
As the situation deteriorated, President Trump spoke directly with the leaders of both countries, urging them to reach a swift ceasefire agreement. He warned, "If both countries do not accept the ceasefire mediation, trade negotiations will be canceled and retaliatory tariffs will be imposed."
When Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a ceasefire on July 28, just four days after the fighting began, President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, "I have ended many wars in just six months since taking office," adding, "I am proud to be a president of peace." White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt also posted the news of the ceasefire on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "President Trump did this. Award him the Nobel Peace Prize."
In addition to Cambodia, Pakistan and Israel have previously officially nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. After a ceasefire following armed conflict with India in May, Pakistan nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, stating, "We recognize his decisive diplomatic intervention and leadership." Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined in, explaining, "He (Trump) continues to build peace in one country and one region after another, even at this very moment."
Although President Trump has been nominated several times by supporters and Republican lawmakers, he has not yet received the Nobel Peace Prize.
So far, four U.S. presidents have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Former President Theodore Roosevelt was the first American president to receive the prize in 1906 for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Former President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize in 1919 for his contributions to the founding of the League of Nations (the predecessor of the United Nations) and the end of World War I. In 2002, former President Jimmy Carter received the prize for decades of peaceful conflict resolution, promotion of democracy, and humanitarian work. Former President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 in recognition of his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen diplomacy and international cooperation."
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