President Donald Trump has emphasized his role as a global peacemaker since returning to the White House in January, often pointing to his success in resolving international conflicts.
On Monday, during meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, Trump claimed credit for ending multiple wars but did not specify which ones.
“I’ve done six wars, I’ve ended six wars,” Trump said in the Oval Office. He later added: “If you look at the six deals I settled this year, they were all at war. I didn’t do any ceasefires.”
By Tuesday, his claim had grown. In an interview with Fox & Friends, he declared, “we ended seven wars.”
While Trump has played a role in mediating disputes, foreign policy experts say the results are not as straightforward as he suggests.
Israel and Iran
Trump is widely credited with halting the 12-day war earlier this summer.
In June, Israel launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure, accusing Tehran of pursuing a nuclear weapon — something Iran denies. Trump directed American warplanes to hit key nuclear sites and later negotiated a ceasefire, pressing both sides to comply.
Evelyn Farkas of Arizona State University’s McCain Institute said Trump deserves recognition: “There’s always a chance it could flare up again if Iran restarts its nuclear weapons program, but nonetheless, they were engaged in a hot war with one another, and it didn’t have any real end in sight before President Trump got involved.”
Lawrence Haas of the American Foreign Policy Council agreed the U.S. was critical in brokering peace but cautioned it remains a “temporary respite” in a long-running conflict.
Egypt and Ethiopia
This dispute is less of a war and more of a regional standoff.
The completion of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile River has long fueled tensions with Egypt and Sudan. While Trump attempted to broker an agreement during his first term, negotiations failed, and he even suspended U.S. aid to Ethiopia at one point.
In July, Trump claimed on Truth Social that he helped end the “fight over the massive dam.” But with talks stalled and Egypt and Sudan still opposing the project, experts say describing it as a “war” is misleading.
India and Pakistan
A flare-up in April over the killing of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir nearly escalated into open conflict. A ceasefire was reached soon after.
Trump asserted the U.S. played a decisive role, citing trade concessions, and Pakistan even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. India, however, rejected his claim, insisting there was no U.S. involvement in the ceasefire.
Analysts suggest Trump’s role may have been constructive but not decisive. “I think President Trump played a constructive role, but I’m not sure whether you would define that as a full-blown war,” Farkas noted.
Serbia and Kosovo
The White House includes this in Trump’s list of resolved conflicts, though tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have not reached open war during his second term.
Trump previously brokered an agreement between the two sides in his first term, but much of it was never implemented. NATO peacekeepers remain a stabilizing force in the region.
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Trump has been involved in mediation between Rwanda and the DRC, but fighting continues.
The mineral-rich eastern Congo faces constant unrest from armed groups, including the M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda. In June, Rwandan and Congolese foreign ministers signed a peace deal at the White House, but M23 was not a party to the agreement and rejected its terms.
A follow-up Qatar-mediated deal with M23 has stalled, leaving the conflict unresolved.
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Earlier this month, Trump hosted leaders from Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House, where they signed a preliminary agreement toward a peace treaty. Both sides hailed the meeting as a breakthrough, though the treaty still needs to be signed and ratified.
The two nations have been locked in a decades-long dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, which erupted into a major war in 2020 and again in 2023. While Trump’s summit marks progress, the conflict’s final resolution is still pending.
Cambodia and Thailand
Trump is credited with helping secure a ceasefire after border clashes this summer.
Fighting broke out in July following a land mine explosion that injured Thai soldiers. Malaysia pushed both nations to the table, but according to analysts, Trump’s threats to withhold U.S. trade agreements played a key role in sealing the ceasefire.
Ken Lohatepanont, a University of Michigan political analyst, said Trump’s involvement was likely pivotal: “President Trump’s decision to condition a successful conclusion to these talks on a ceasefire likely played a significant role in ensuring that both sides came to the negotiating table when they did.”
While Trump’s mediation has had real effects in some conflicts, experts emphasize that many of the disputes he cites remain unresolved, fragile, or far more complex than his sweeping claims suggest.
