2LT International News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has cast himself as a global peacemaker, repeatedly asserting that he has ended multiple international conflicts. He claims his administration has brokered a series of ceasefires and peace deals that have reduced hostilities from Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia. Yet experts caution that his claims are far less clear-cut than he suggests.

This week, during meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Trump again emphasized his role in preventing wars. Sitting beside Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, he declared, “I’ve done six wars, I’ve ended six wars.” Later, he added, “If you look at the six deals I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires.”

On Fox & Friends, he went further, raising the figure to seven wars. But the actual record is mixed, with some situations involving genuine U.S. mediation, others being exaggerated, and some bearing little connection to Washington at all.

Israel and Iran

Perhaps the most dramatic case came in June, when Israel launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military infrastructure, triggering fears of a prolonged war. Trump directed U.S. warplanes to join in limited strikes on Iranian sites at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz, while simultaneously pushing both sides toward restraint. A ceasefire was negotiated, and Trump publicly pressured leaders in Jerusalem and Tehran to hold to it.

Analysts such as Evelyn Farkas of the McCain Institute credit Washington with playing a decisive role in halting the 12-day conflict. Still, Lawrence Haas of the American Foreign Policy Council noted that while the U.S. intervention provided a pause, the underlying hostility between Israel and Iran remains a “day-to-day cold war” rather than a resolved dispute.

Egypt and Ethiopia

Tensions over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have simmered for more than a decade. Ethiopia, which generates much of the Nile’s flow, completed the dam this year, sparking opposition from Egypt, which relies almost entirely on the river for agriculture, and Sudan, which fears flooding and disruptions to its power supply.

Trump has also claimed credit for peace efforts here, but experts point out there was no war, only a dispute that regional diplomacy—not Washington—has struggled to address.

India and Pakistan

In April, violence in Kashmir threatened to spiral into a broader confrontation after the killing of tourists. Trump has insisted that his administration brokered the resulting ceasefire, claiming he offered trade concessions to Pakistan as part of the deal. Islamabad praised him, even recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

New Delhi, however, denied U.S. involvement, insisting there were no such trade discussions linked to the ceasefire. Analysts believe Washington played at least a behind-the-scenes role in calming tensions, but the extent of U.S. influence remains contested.

Serbia and Kosovo

The White House lists Serbia and Kosovo among Trump’s achievements, yet experts say this is misleading. Tensions persist between Belgrade and Pristina, but there has been no significant threat of war during Trump’s current term. NATO peacekeepers continue to maintain stability, and the U.S. has not played an important role in recent developments.

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo

In Africa, the Trump administration has invested diplomatic energy in attempting to mediate between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by more than a hundred armed groups, most notably the M23 rebels, who Rwanda backs. In June, the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers signed a peace deal at the White House, with Trump officials playing an important role. Yet because M23 itself was excluded from the talks, the agreement has so far failed to halt the violence. A follow-up deal brokered by Qatar was intended to include the rebels, but deadlines have passed without progress, leaving fighting ongoing.

Armenia and Azerbaijan

Trump scored a notable diplomatic success in bringing Armenia and Azerbaijan to Washington this month. The two neighbors, long locked in disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh, signed agreements to reopen transportation routes and expressed intent to conclude a formal peace treaty. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the outcome as a breakthrough. The treaty has still to be formally signed and ratified, leaving its durability uncertain.

Cambodia and Thailand

In Southeast Asia, Trump intervened in a brief border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Skirmishes erupted after landmine explosions and military clashes along their frontier. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim initially pushed for a ceasefire, but both sides credit Trump with breaking the deadlock. He publicly warned that trade agreements with Washington would not move forward unless both leaders halted hostilities. Facing economic strain, both countries agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in late July.

Trump has shown a willingness to use American leverage—military strikes, economic pressure, or trade promises—to press warring sides toward dialogue. However, whether these efforts amount to the sweeping record of peacemaking he advertises remains disputed. Experts stress that many of the conflicts are frozen or unresolved, and that lasting peace requires far more than a White House announcement.