Russian President Vladimir Putin has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
An advocacy group nominated Putin for bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Syrian-U.S. dispute over chemical weapons.
According to the Washington Times, the Russian advocacy group International Academy of Spiritual Unity and Cooperation of Peoples of the World nominated Putin for forging an agreement with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to surrender over admitted chemical weapons to the international authorities.
The move from Putin has been characterized a world-class and prize-worthy piece of diplomacy.
While announcing the nomination during a press conference in Moscow, group officials said Putin deserved the Peace Prize much more than President Barack Obama, who won the recognition in 2009.
Iosif Kobzon, a member of the State Duma, said that Puitn deserved the prize for trying to stop the bloodshed in Syria.
Critics however said that Putin does have a footprint in Syria, as he is Assad's staunch ally and has sold and provided weapons to the Syrian regime.
Critics of the nomination also said that Putin has led the Russian delegation at the U.N. Security Council into blocking international intervention in Syria that could have prevented the deaths of 100,000-plus civilians, the report added.
