Volodymyr Zelensky will nominate Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize - on one condition

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office then declared: "Give Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize - he deserves it!"

But away from the Middle East, Mr Zelensky revealed that he would back his US counterpart for the prize if he sends Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and helps broker a ceasefire with Russia.

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The Ukrainian leader said Tomahawks, which would allow Ukraine to strike targets as far away as Siberia, could massively strengthen his country.

The missiles would "sober the Russians up a bit, bringing them to the negotiating table", he added.

Mr Trump has long publicly campaigned to follow predecessor Barack Obama in receiving the prize.

He says he has brought an end to seven wars - which some dispute.

The President has even called up Norway's ex-Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask about the Nobel.

But some weeks ahead of Friday's announcement, a former Nobel committee member said Mr Trump's chances were "slim".

While Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the current committee chairman, told The Telegraph: "There's no doubt the level of attention and focus is higher this year than any other we can remember."

On Friday, the world will find out whether Mr Trump has claimed - or even been nominated for - the prize.

He had only been President for 11 days before this year's deadline.

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Mr Frydnes did not tell the newspaper whether he had made it into the 338-strong long-list this year.

The names on it will be kept secret for 50 years.

Others in Norway have threatened a "violent reaction" if he does win.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a former MP for Norway's right-wing Progress Party, nominated Trump in 2020.

But this year, he said: "I think there will be an uproar in Norway and you’ll have very big protests and demonstrations and maybe a violent reaction."

As for Mr Zelensky's request, Trump said on Monday that he had "sort of" made a decision on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine - though he wanted to clarify just how they would be used.

That sparked fury from Moscow, which warned of "irreparable" consequences.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said handing Kyiv the missiles "would lead to a new serious stage of escalation in the Ukrainian crisis. but also cause irreparable damage to Russian-American relations".

Then, back in the Oval Office on Thursday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb counselled calm.

He told reporters: "To be honest, I think people need to be a little bit more Finnish, which means be calm, cool, collected, take a sauna or take an ice bath," when asked about claims Russia could invade a Nato country in the coming years. "Prepare."