President Barack Obama accepted a diploma and medal just hours before he is set to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in an award ceremony at Oslo City Hall in Norway on Thursday. The Nobel Committee is awarding the peace prize to Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples and cited his push for nuclear disarmament.

This is only the third time in history a sitting president has received the prestigious award. Yet, there are still some questions surrounding whether or not Obama deserves the honor.

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“I am the Commander in Chief…in the midst of two wars,” the president acknowledged in his acceptance speech. “The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it…Peace entails sacrifice.”