Simon Tisdall has launched a scathing critique of Donald Trump's diplomatic record, arguing that ceasefires in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran and Lebanon are collapsing because of the former US president's approach. In a new analysis, Tisdall writes that Trump boasted he alone could broker peace deals, but has delivered neither peace nor stability.
On Ukraine, Tisdall notes that Trump promised to resolve the war in a day, yet the conflict is now in its fifth year. He claims Trump sided with Russia, told Volodymyr Zelenskyy he had 'no cards' and cut weapons supplies. His envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have reportedly not visited Kyiv, and Zelenskyy is now proposing a ceasefire which Vladimir Putin may reject.
Regarding Iran, Tisdall says Trump's illegal attack in February was followed by a ceasefire in April with none of his main objectives met and the Strait of Hormuz largely closed to shipping. Violations occur daily, and peace talks via third parties have made no progress.
Tisdall also criticises Trump's claims of success in Gaza, where a truce agreed last October has failed. His 20-point plan focusing on disarming Hamas is said to have run into the sand. Tisdall further alleges that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now inflicting on southern Lebanon the same destruction seen in Gaza, and that the two men clashed last week.
The analysis contends that Trump's serial failures reflect a broader problem of lacking respected mediators, contrasting his amateur envoys with past diplomats like Richard Holbrooke. Tisdall concludes that ordinary people pay the price for this 'new world disorder'.
