WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump on Monday insisted that Norway effectively controls the Nobel Prize, saying he is unconcerned about the award and instead focused on what he described as saving lives through his policies.

"I don't care about the Nobel Prize," Trump, who has long coveted the annual award, told reporters.

In a message published on Monday, Trump told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Store that he no longer felt "an obligation to think purely of Peace" after failing to win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

The last year's laureate, Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, said she gifted her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump at the White House last week. Organizers of the Nobel Prize had earlier said that a Peace Prize cannot be withdrawn, transferred or shared once it has been announced.

"First of all, a very fine woman felt that I deserved it, and really wanted me to have the Nobel Prize. And I appreciate that. If anybody thinks that Norway doesn't, control the Nobel Prize. They're just kidding. They have a board, but it's controlled by Norway," Trump said.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose members are appointed by Norway’s parliament, though the committee operates independently of the Norwegian government.

Trump dismissed that distinction, saying he did not care about Norway’s views on the matter. "I don't care what Norway says, but I really don't care about that. What I care about is saving lives, and I think I've saved tens of millions of lives," he said.