Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stunned the political world by saying she would nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he ends the Ukraine war without forcing Ukraine to give up territory to Russia. The surprising announcement came from one of Trump’s biggest critics on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, just two days before his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Clinton made the shocking promise during an appearance on the “Raging Moderates” podcast. She said Trump could earn the prestigious award if he handles the Ukraine situation correctly. “I understand from everything I’ve read that [Trump] would very much like to receive a Nobel Peace Prize,” Clinton said.
The former Democratic presidential candidate, who lost to Trump in 2016, laid out specific conditions for her support. She said Trump would need to end the war without putting Ukraine in a bad position where it had to give land to Russia or validate Putin’s vision of a bigger Russia.
Instead, Clinton said Trump needs to really stand up to Putin, something we haven’t seen before. She wants Trump to make it clear that there must be a ceasefire with no exchange of territory. She also said Putin should actually withdraw from the territory he has taken over time.
“Look, if we could pull that off, if President Trump were the architect of that, I’d nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, because my goal here is not to allow capitulation to Putin, aided and abetted by the United States,” Clinton declared.
This promise came as Trump met with Putin on Friday, August 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. It was their first face-to-face meeting since 2019. The Alaska location is symbolic since it sits just 55 miles from Russia across the Bering Strait.
Trump announced the meeting on his Truth Social platform earlier this week. He wrote that the highly anticipated meeting between himself and Putin would take place in Alaska. The announcement came as Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire passed without major action.
Trump had been pushing hard to end the Ukraine conflict, which had been going on for more than three years since Russia invaded in February 2022. Trump had promised during his campaign to end the war quickly, even saying he could do it in 24 hours.
However, Trump had suggested that any peace deal would likely involve some territory swapping between the countries. This idea had upset Ukrainian officials, who said they wouldn’t give up any land to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been firm about this, saying Ukraine will not give its land to the occupier.
The Ukrainian constitution actually makes it illegal to give up territory without approval from a national referendum. This had created a major obstacle for any peace talks that involved land swaps.
Trump had expressed frustration with both Putin and Zelensky over the slow progress in peace talks. He told Fox News Radio before the summit that he was convinced Putin was going to make a deal. “I’m convinced that he [Putin] is going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out. I’m going to know very quickly,” Trump said.
The president had positioned himself as uniquely able to negotiate with Putin because of their personal relationship. He had indicated that the Alaska meeting could lead to a three-way summit including Zelensky if things went well.
Trump’s desire for Nobel recognition had been well-known throughout his political career. A White House official told NBC News that the president felt he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize but didn’t think he would get it. The official said Trump had complained that the prize would probably go to someone who writes a book about him rather than Trump himself.
The Trump administration had been promoting the president’s peace-making record. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said before the summit that Trump had brokered about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office. She said it was well past time that Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The administration had pointed to several agreements Trump helped broker, including deals between Armenia and Azerbaijan, India and Pakistan, and Israel and Iran. But a Russia-Ukraine peace deal would have been Trump’s biggest achievement and best shot at winning the Nobel Prize.
The war in Ukraine had been the deadliest conflict in Europe in decades. It had killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. European leaders had been worried that any peace deal that rewarded Russian aggression could encourage Putin to attack other countries.
Clinton’s offer to nominate Trump represented a dramatic change from her usual criticism of his foreign policy. The former first lady and senator had been one of Trump’s harshest Democratic critics, especially regarding his past dealings with Putin. Her willingness to support a Nobel nomination showed how serious the Ukraine crisis had become and how important any successful peace agreement would be.
The outcome of the Alaska summit could reshape both the Ukraine conflict and Trump’s foreign policy legacy. Clinton’s surprising endorsement added unexpected bipartisan support to the high-stakes diplomatic meeting that took place in America’s northernmost state.