Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko, an influential member of President Zelenskyy's party, has nominated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Merezhko tells TaiwanPlus that his nomination was made without Zelenskyy's knowledge, but in recognition of Trump's help for Ukraine during his first administration.
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00:00Thank you for joining us today, Oleksandr.
00:02Can you tell us very simply why have you decided to nominate President-elect Donald Trump for
00:08the Nobel Peace Prize?
00:10Well, for two reasons.
00:13Well, speaking objectively, he deserves to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for, for example,
00:21for the Abraham Accords, which he mediated very successfully.
00:26And the second reason, which is important for Ukraine, is that under his administration,
00:33Ukraine had started to receive military aid from the United States, including lethal weapons
00:39like javelins, which helped us right after the full-scale invasion.
00:46And also, he was supportive of creating a coalition in support of Ukraine against Russian
00:51aggression.
00:53You're a member of President Zelensky's ruling party, an influential member of the Foreign
00:58Affairs Committee in the Ukrainian parliament.
01:01Did you run this decision by President Zelensky before making the nomination?
01:05And has it caused any controversy in Ukraine?
01:08Well, it's an interesting question because this idea occurred to me spontaneously two
01:14days ago, and I decided to act immediately.
01:18So it was my idea and my risk.
01:21For a politician, of course, any kind of ideas like that, original ideas, they might
01:27cause problems.
01:29But I didn't consult anyone.
01:32I mean, I didn't talk to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
01:36I didn't talk to the office of the president.
01:39It was purely my own decision.
01:43And I bear all responsibility and all risk for this decision.
01:47Obviously, as you say, there's a number of conflicts going on around the world right
01:50now.
01:51Let's start with the one nearest to your heart.
01:54President-elect Trump says he's going to bring an end to the war in Ukraine within days of
01:58him taking office.
02:00If Trump suggests that Ukraine cede territory in order to get a peace with Russia, would
02:07you agree with that?
02:08Of course not.
02:09It's absolutely out of the question for Ukraine.
02:13That's why it's not only about Ukraine.
02:15It's not only about our territorial integrity.
02:18It's about the fate and future of the humankind and the world order.
02:24That's why it's so important.
02:25And I believe that Trump understands this.
02:28Of course, I cannot be 100% sure, but I believe and I'm almost certain that he will never
02:35do it.
02:36He will never do it because it would be against the interests of the United States.
02:41President-elect Trump is about to start his second term.
02:44The outcome of many of these conflicts is not yet known.
02:47Is it fair to say that this is more of a wishful thinking nomination than one that's
02:52based on what he's actually achieved?
02:54Well, it's hope, but it's not wishful thinking.
02:59You know, it has both sides.
03:01On the one hand, in this way, I wanted to express our gratitude for what was already
03:08done by Trump to support Ukraine.
03:11So it's a gesture of gratitude.
03:14And on the other hand, it's a gesture of hope.
03:16It's a gesture of hope for us because our fate depends on the United States.
03:21Our survival depends on the United States and, of course, depends on the president of
03:27the United States.