Peace or PR? Analyzing Trump's Diplomatic Achievement List
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized in recent months that he has ended six wars — and sometimes even “seven.” In a BBC feature, which is not exactly a bastion of Trump supporters, reporters tracked his proclaimed successes and the peace he allegedly delivered, or failed to deliver, to the world. From Israel-Iran to Egypt-Ethiopia, what is Trump’s true purpose behind his peace declarations?
Donald Trump returned to the White House with a clear narrative: he is the man who ends wars. Since the beginning of his second term in January, the president has stressed at every opportunity his diplomatic achievements, portraying himself as the “peace maker” who brought an end to no fewer than seven global conflicts. The numbers fluctuate from speech to speech, but the message is always the same: he is the man extinguishing the world’s flames of war.
This was a promise he made to voters even before he was elected: “I will be the one to end wars,” Trump pledged, while Iran was still closer than ever to a nuclear weapon and Russia was continuing to butcher its eastern neighbors.
On Monday this week, during a speech at the White House, Trump was asked about his initiatives to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He seized the opportunity to present his list of achievements. “I ended six wars… I made all these agreements without even using the words ‘ceasefire,’” he declared. By the next day, the number had already become “seven wars.” Inside the White House, aides are keen to frame him as a worthy Nobel Peace Prize candidate. But experts keep asking: how much do these declarations reflect reality?
At the BBC, which openly admits it is not particularly fond of the president or his political affiliation, journalists examined Trump’s words to check whether he truly ended wars — and how many.
Israel–Iran
The most prominent and complex example is the flare-up between Israel and Iran this past June. On June 13, Israel launched an extensive strike, with U.S. intelligence support, against nuclear sites in Iran. For 12 days, rapid exchanges of fire ensued. Trump himself announced that he had consulted with Prime Minister Netanyahu before the operations began. At the end of the fighting, the president issued a dramatic statement on his social media platform: “Officially, Iran will begin its ceasefire at the 12th hour, Israel at the 24th hour, and by the end of the 12th hour, the world will celebrate the end of the war.”
But the reality on the ground looked very different. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei spoke of a “crushing victory” and did not mention any ceasefire. In Israel, officials clarified that this was not a permanent agreement and that Israel might act again to prevent a renewed nuclear threat. Senior analysts noted that there is no real monitoring mechanism over Iran’s nuclear program and described the situation as more of a temporary lull than a true end to war. Still, they admit U.S. involvement gave Israel a major strategic advantage.
Only in recent days reports surfaced that Iran is preparing for renewed confrontation with Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded that Israel is ready as well. In other words, contrary to Trump’s claim — it is far from over.
The South Asian conflict is just as complicated. After fighting broke out in Kashmir between India and Pakistan in May, Trump declared that “thanks to a long night of talks,” the two countries reached a “full and immediate ceasefire.” Pakistan thanked him and even recommended him for the Nobel Prize, while India insisted the deal was struck directly between the armies, without significant U.S. involvement. As with other cases, Trump’s “successes” are interpreted differently: some nations praise his mediation, others downplay his role.
Rwanda–Congo
In Central Africa, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace deal in June after an escalation involving the M23 rebel group, which had seized mineral-rich areas in eastern Congo. Trump hailed the deal as an opportunity to strengthen U.S. economic ties with both countries. But little changed on the ground: both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire, and the rebels continued military operations, including a massacre in which at least 140 civilians — women and children — were killed. As historian Margaret MacMillan concluded: “The ceasefire never really held.”
Thailand–Cambodia
In Southeast Asia, Trump touts another swift success: during a short border clash between Thailand and Cambodia at the end of July, he threatened to halt negotiations on reducing tariffs for exported goods to the U.S. Within days, a ceasefire was signed. Yet in reality, Malaysia conducted the actual mediation, while Trump folded the success neatly into his personal brand.
Armenia–Azerbaijan
The Caucasus gave Trump one of his most tangible moments. On August 8, he hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House, where they signed a peace agreement over Nagorno-Karabakh. The leaders even declared Trump deserving of a Nobel Prize. However, negotiations had started months earlier, after the last round of fighting in September 2023, when ethnic Armenian civilians were forced to cope with Azerbaijan’s takeover of the area.
Egypt–Ethiopia and Serbia–Kosovo
The BBC adds that not every “war” Trump claims to have ended was a war at all. The long-standing dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile never escalated into military conflict. Trump promised “to solve it quickly,” but no formal agreement has yet been signed. Likewise, tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, dating back to the Balkan wars of the 1990s, never erupted into new war — Trump merely claimed he prevented escalation by threatening economic sanctions.
BBC’s Conclusion
The British reporters remain skeptical of Trump’s triumphs. They describe his “wars ended” collage as consisting of temporary ceasefires, economic threats that created short pauses, shaky agreements, and mediations that sometimes happened only on paper. It is difficult to argue that the world has become significantly more peaceful, but it is undeniable that Trump has made peace — or at least the talk of it — a central branding tool in his public image.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also understood Trump’s ambition to secure a Nobel Prize and sent a letter to the awarding committee in Oslo.
Despite the BBC’s visible cynicism regarding Trump as the man of peace he claims to be, one fact cannot be denied: Trump brought about the Abraham Accords, a historic peace between Israel and Arab states, which he now seeks to expand to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond.
And yet, two major wars remain unresolved: the Russia-Ukraine war, which has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and the Israel-Hamas war, still raging because Hamas refuses to release Israeli hostages from its tunnels of horror.
The big question remains: will Trump truly be remembered as the man who ended wars — or as the man who transformed fleeting moments of quiet into a brilliant political spectacle and polished PR campaign?
The images, declarations, and social media messages portray a president who knows full well the power of media, and his ability to turn every event between nations into a public relations display — just as much as a diplomatic success.