US President Donald Trump claims to have “ended eight wars”. According to commentators, Trump has indeed contributed to the resolution of conflicts to varying degrees, but his declarations are exaggerated. In the case of two “finished wars”, fighting continues.
“These claims do not stand up”
Trump and his entourage often say that the president “ended eight wars” and deserves the Nobel Prize for his peace-building efforts. The American leader emphasizes that the ninth war he would like to “end” is the conflict in Ukraine, but, as he has often admitted, it turned out to be more difficult to solve than he thought.
– I'm glad that (Trump) wants to be a peacemaker. Even though his personal style (action) is often belligerent, I believe that he himself does not like violence – he told PAP Michael O'Hanlon, security and foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution.
As Bloomberg assessed, “the US president's claims that he has ended eight wars do not hold up under deeper analysis.” Some of these conflicts still have a long way to go to achieve peace, while others cannot actually be considered ongoing wars, the agency noted.
O'Hanlon pointed out that Trump has made a positive contribution to resolving most of these eight conflicts. However, as he emphasized, some of them are ongoing (as in the case of DRC or Rwanda). Others were not actually wars, with active exchanges of fire (Egypt-Ethiopia, Serbia-Kosovo) or were resolved with minimal U.S. assistance (India-Pakistan). In the case of Armenia and Azerbaijan, US support “was useful but modest.” However, the situation in the Middle East remains very unstable.
– So I give him a lot of credit, but much less than he gives himself – emphasized an expert from a Washington think tank.
Below are eight conflicts that Trump believes ended thanks to his involvement:
1. Israel and Iran
In June, Israel carried out a series of attacks on Iran's nuclear program and military command. American aircraft carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear installations, after which Trump declared that the Iranian nuclear program had been completely destroyed. The US negotiated a ceasefire and Trump announced an end to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
2. Egypt and Ethiopia
In July, the president announced that he had helped end “the fight over the big dam and there is peace there, at least for now.” However, there is no agreement between the parties, and negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have stalled. In September, Ethiopia launched a hydroelectric dam on the Nile – the largest in Africa and one of the largest in the world. The dam, which was built on the Blue Nile, is causing serious concern in neighboring Egypt and Sudan, which believe that it threatens the security of these countries, especially their access to water.
3. India and Pakistan
In the spring of 2025, India and Pakistan, which have had tense relations for years, were on the verge of war. Eventually, a ceasefire was reached. Trump emphasizes that the U.S. negotiated a cease-fire in part because of the trade concessions he offered. Pakistan thanked Trump and nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and India denied Trump's claims, emphasizing that it had not held trade talks with the US in the context of the truce.
4. Serbia and Kosovo
During his first term, Trump negotiated a broad agreement between these countries, but most of its provisions were never implemented. There was no threat of war between the two countries during his second term, and the president made no significant contribution to improving relations this year.
5. Armenia and Azerbaijan
In August, at the White House, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace declaration that provides for the creation of the Trump Trail for International Peace and Prosperity, a transit area connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Both leaders announced that they would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump said the signed documents end 35 years of war.
6. Israel and Hamas
In mid-October, Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but both sides accuse each other of violating the terms of the truce. The ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement are seen as important progress, but they are only an early step on the path to ending the war, let alone a potential two-state solution.
During recent consultations in Miami, representatives of the US, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar reaffirmed their commitment to Trump's 20-point peace plan and called on all parties to honor their commitments. Further consultations are to be held in the coming weeks on the implementation of phase two of the ceasefire agreement, which includes the withdrawal of the army from part of the territory of the Gaza Strip and the deployment of international stabilization forces there. The governing structures in the Zone are to be headed by the Peace Council, chaired by Trump.
7. Thailand and Cambodia
At the end of October, both countries signed a ceasefire agreement, negotiated with Trump's participation. However, it was broken just a few weeks later. In the first half of December, over 20 people, including three civilians, were killed in clashes near the border of both countries. The sides accused each other of provoking the clashes. On December 27, Thailand and Cambodia agreed again to an “immediate ceasefire”.
8. Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda
The DRC and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington with Trump's participation to end the years-long conflict. However, fighting is still ongoing on site. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the situation between the two countries during a recent press conference. – These commitments are not respected, but at least they signed them. So now we can appeal to something, we can put pressure on them, said the head of American diplomacy.
– In many cases, when it comes to peace, you sign a peace agreement, you agree, something happens, they stop agreeing, you have to convince them back, you have to try to push… But instead of negotiating something new, you are now just trying to force people to respect what they have already agreed. So I think that's an achievement,” Rubio said.
Trump, global peacemaker?
Despite numerous nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, the president did not receive the award this year. He was awarded the first FIFA peace prize. The Institute of Peace in Washington was also named after Donald Trum. As the media emphasized, the name change was intended to recognize Trump's achievements as a “world peacemaker.”
– This talk of eight wars is not correct. Trump could be the president of peace, but for now his policy is not heading in this direction, Jon Hoffman, an expert at the libertarian analytical center Cato Instiute, told PAP.
According to him, American foreign policy – contrary to what we hear – is a continuation of its current direction. – We are still stuck up to our necks in Ukraine, in the Middle East. We have entered a war with Iran, and Israel is currently trying to pressure the United States to approve another round of Israeli attacks. And of course, all eyes are on Venezuela, because apparently for some reason we have to start a war in Venezuela, Hoffman said.
He noted that Trump wants to be seen as a “dealmaker” and someone with exceptional deal-making skills. – This narrative is promoted on a rhetorical level. But in practice, the policies pursued by the United States do not lead to peace. It leads to escalation and deep entanglement of the United States in many theaters of operations from which, as Trump claimed, he wanted to withdraw, the expert said.
“Ending wars requires patient diplomacy and long-term commitment, not loud headlines,” said Keith B. Richburg in the Washington Post.
From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)
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