International Space Station emerges as Nobel Peace Prize contender, Ukrainian also in the running
Photo: Mykola Kuleba, founder of the Save Ukraine organization (facebook.com/KulebaMykola)
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize could go to the International Space Station. Other possible laureates include Ukrainian child rights advocate Mykola Kuleba, Donald Trump, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Associated Press reports.
Why the ISS is among the favorites
One of the most authoritative forecasters is considered to be Haakon Gjerløw, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. His annual list of candidates usually sets the tone for the discussion.
According to him, the ISS, or more precisely the organization behind the station, is a rare symbol of global cooperation. Especially now, when multilateral mechanisms are breaking down, and countries are increasingly turning inward toward their own interests.
Who else is on the list
The institute director's list includes Ukrainian child rights advocate Mykola Kuleba and the organization Save the Children. It also includes the Sudanese volunteer aid network Emergency Response Rooms and the Committee to Protect Journalists, as the past two years have been the deadliest for reporters in nearly 45 years of monitoring.
The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court received a joint nomination. The ICC has been criticized, in particular, for issuing arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has long opposed the court, and in July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign against it. That same month, the ICC's chief prosecutor was removed from office over allegations of sexual misconduct.
What are Trump's chances?
The US president has made no secret of his desire to receive the prize, and he was nominated again. However, his candidacy could prove controversial after the US and Israel launched a war against Iran in February.
"I don’t even think his own base would believe Trump could win the prize now, given how he’s stuck in what looks like a forever war in Iran," said Shawn Davies, a senior analyst at the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.
The situation is also complicated by a gesture from 2025 laureate María Corina Machado. The Venezuelan opposition leader symbolically handed her prize to Trump several days after US forces removed Nicolás Maduro from power.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has drawn attention for openly standing up to Trump, particularly over tariffs.
"Trump will be unhappy whoever gets the Nobel. If Carney got it, it would make relations with Canada rockier than they are," said Nelson Wiseman, a professor at the University of Toronto.
When the winner will be announced
The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the laureate on October 9 in Oslo. This year, it received 287 nominations, slightly more than a quarter of them for organizations. The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, or approximately $1.2 million.
Mykola Kuleba served as the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights from 2014 to 2021. After the full-scale invasion began, his charity organization Save Ukraine has worked to return Ukrainian children whom Russia deported or forcibly transferred from occupied territories.
Ukrainians have come to the attention of the Nobel Committee before. In 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, together with the Russian human rights organization Memorial and Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski.
