Trump again left without the Nobel Peace Prize: the 2026 laureate is known

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to South African lawyer Navanethem (Navi) Pillay for her contribution to the development of international law and the protection of human rights. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly claimed credit for settling international conflicts and voiced aspirations for this award, has once again been left without the prize.

The name of the laureate was announced by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday, October 9, in Oslo. The committee recognized Pillay's long-standing work aimed at strengthening the international legal order and holding accountable those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Navi Pillay was born in 1941 in South Africa. She began her legal career during apartheid, defending the rights of people subjected to racial discrimination. In 1995, she became the first black woman appointed as a judge of the High Court of South Africa.

Later, Pillay served as a judge and presided over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She contributed to the development of international jurisprudence that allowed sexual violence and incitement to genocide to be considered grounds for criminal prosecution.

Subsequently, the lawyer worked as a judge of the International Criminal Court and from 2008 to 2014 held the position of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She also headed an independent UN commission of inquiry into events in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Nobel Committee emphasized the importance of international legal mechanisms in a time when the number of armed conflicts is growing and international judicial institutions are facing political pressure.

Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado. She was recognized for her struggle for the democratic rights of Venezuelan citizens and her efforts to ensure a peaceful transition of the country from dictatorship to democracy.

Ahead of the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Donald Trump once again stated that he deserves the award. During a conversation with journalists on October 7, the US President claimed that he had managed to end eight wars, bring back all hostages and save millions of lives.

Trump also credited his administration with ensuring that Iran would allegedly no longer be able to obtain nuclear weapons. In his opinion, this could have prevented a global catastrophe.

"I settled eight wars, and one more is on the way. And then going to stop. I brought back all the hostages... I did something that nobody else did... Look at hostages and everything else. Nobody has ever done what I did", - said the US President.

He added that regardless of the Nobel Committee's decision, he considers his achievements sufficient to receive the prize. In Trump's opinion, the refusal to award him the prize will be a serious blow to the committee's reputation.

The American president also mentioned last year's laureate Maria Corina Machado, who in January 2026 handed him her Nobel medal. According to Trump, the Venezuelan opposition leader believed that he deserved the award. At the same time, the Norwegian Nobel Committee had previously clarified that the medal can be passed to another person, but the status of laureate cannot be transferred.

Despite these claims, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay for her long-standing contribution to international justice and human rights.

Based on materials from: Norwegian Nobel Committee, Donald Trump's speech, Norwegian Nobel Institute