French President Emmanuel Macron has put a pretty big challenge out there for U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that if he wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize he so openly desires, he’ll have to stop the war in Gaza. It’s a bold move that comes after a high-profile United Nations General Assembly summit on Palestinian statehood, where the two leaders clearly didn’t see eye to eye.
During his own address to the U.N. gathering, Trump repeated a claim that he had “ended seven un-endable wars” and that everyone said he “should get the Nobel Peace Prize” for each of these achievements. This isn’t the first time he’s made a push for the prize, and it seems to be a consistent theme in his recent public appearances.
To be fair, Trump did add that for him, “the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and inglorious wars.” according to Politico, Macron didn’t mince words.
French President doesn’t think Trump has done enough for a prize
In an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV, he went straight for the heart of the matter. “I see a U.S. president who is active, who wants peace… who wants the Nobel Peace Prize,” Macron said. “But the Nobel Peace Prize is possible only if you stop this war.” He didn’t just stop there, either. He specifically called on Trump to “put pressure on the government of Israel” to “stop this war and obtain the release of the 48 hostages.”
This public spat really gets into the different approaches each leader has to the Middle East. A day before his interview, Macron led a landmark U.N. summit on Palestinian statehood. He and other European leaders, including those from the U.K., Australia, and Canada, have been pushing to get Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Macron himself formally recognized the Palestinian state during the conference, drawing a standing ovation from some of the other world leaders in attendance.
hahahahahaha
— RL Miller aka RLMiller on BlueSkies (@RL_Miller) September 23, 2025
Barack Obama's joke to Donald Trump: "Nobel Peace Prize."
Trump doesn't get it. Nor will he ever.
Trump, on the other hand, strongly condemned this move. He slammed the wave of recognition as “a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7.” He also stated that recognizing a Palestinian state would be “a reward for these horrible atrocities, including Oct. 7” and that it would “encourage continued conflict.” In his own speech, Trump argued that the recognition would be too great a reward for Hamas terrorists and that those who want peace should be united in a single message: “release the hostages now, just release the hostages.”
Macron, however, has a completely different take on the issue. He countered Trump’s argument by saying that recognizing a Palestinian state is actually a way to “isolate” Hamas, because it bolsters the Palestinian Authority and encourages it to make necessary reforms. He’s essentially arguing that his approach is a long-term solution to peace, while Trump’s is more focused on a short-term outcome that likely won’t last.
