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In an interview with Euronews during a visit to Brussels on Friday, Donald Trump’s top Massad Boulos said that the US president not winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was a disappointment.
Boulos, a former businessman who is now a senior advisor to Trump on African and Arab affairs, was in Brussels for the EU’s Global Gateway Forum.
“Of course this wasn’t good news because he absolutely deserves it, he absolutely deserves it,” he told Euronews.
“And for those who say, oh, it should be next year and nominations come way in advance, and we’re talking about 2024 nominations that are just announced now, that’s probably accurate to some extent, but that’s not an excuse.”
“If anyone deserves it in this world, it’s absolutely President Trump”, Boulos said, adding that he was hopeful for next year.
Boulos said the US president would travel to the Middle East this Sunday for a signing ceremony of what he described as an “absolutely huge and historic breakthrough”.
“Only President Trump could have achieved something like this, with immense support from not just the Muslim world and the Arab world, but from the entire world, the European and African and the entire World”, he added.
The US-led 20-point peace plan is an “absolute final peace agreement,” according to Boulos.
“It is not only about Gaza, but it’s the future of the Middle East and (Trump) is looking forward to lasting and comprehensive peace all over the Middle East,” he explained.
The Trump administration has since said that 200 US troops already based in the Middle East will be moved to Israel to help monitor the ceasefire in Gaza.
“I’m sure the parameters and the details will be released but it has to do, as announced, with certain monitoring of specific aspects of the implementation,” Boulos said.
When asked whether Trump’s suggestion to “throw” Spain out of NATO was a “safe” decision, Boulas was hesitant to comment.
“I wouldn’t comment on that. The president made his statement clear, but he is absolutely right with regards to the NATO commitments. Whatever commitments were made to NATO should be respected by all members,” he said.
Relations between Brussels and Washington were “excellent,” and he had held several very productive meetings during his stay, Boulos concluded.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado.