India, Jan. 16 -- A smiling Donald Trump on Thursday "accepted" the Nobel Peace Prize presented to him by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who had won it last year.

A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal, Reuters reported.

The US President even called Machado a "wonderful woman" for the gesture, just days after saying he doubted she could lead Venezuela and backing Nicolas Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, as the interim leader in Caracas.

The question that is worth a million dollars right now is whether Machado's award to Trump means anything beyond a symbolic gesture. The Nobel Institute answered the question in detail on Sunday.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated in a statement...