Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Friday she hopes U.S. president Donald Trump will bring the war in Ukraine to an end—a step she said could see him nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaking at a press conference after talks with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Meloni praised Trump’s push for negotiations and said his involvement could prove decisive.
“I hope that one day we can award a Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump,” Meloni said. “If he makes a difference in achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, then we too could nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration at being overlooked by the Nobel committee despite his role in past diplomatic efforts. Earlier this week, a message he sent to Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre was made public in which he said missing out on the prize meant he no longer felt obliged “to think purely of peace”.
On Thursday, Trump unveiled a new “Board of Peace”, initially conceived to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and post-war reconstruction but now expanded into a broader mechanism aimed at resolving international conflicts, including Ukraine.
Italy has been invited to join the initiative, but Meloni said Rome faces constitutional obstacles. Under Italian law, the country cannot formally participate in an organisation led by a single foreign leader. Trump currently serves as chairman of the board, its U.S. representative, and head of its executive body.
Meloni said she had urged Trump to adjust the framework to allow wider European participation.
“I asked him to reopen the structure to meet the needs not only of Italy, but also of other European countries,” she said. “The presence of countries like ours can make a difference.”
Meloni has positioned herself as one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, backing a stronger U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the Ukraine conflict and arguing that pragmatic engagement—rather than escalation—offers the best path to peace.
