Donald Trump's boastful claims of ending wars ring hollow as ceasefires in Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon, and Iran crumble, leaving civilians dead or displaced. The US president's casual disregard for diplomacy and obsession with instant results have exacerbated conflicts rather than resolving them, according to analysts.
Trump's record is lamentable: he promised to end the Ukraine war in a day, but it now enters its fifth year. He sided with Russia, cut weapons supplies to Ukraine, and told President Zelenskyy he had 'no cards'. His envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were outmanoeuvred by Kremlin officials and have yet to visit Kyiv.
In Gaza, the truce Trump hailed last October has unravelled. His 20-point plan, hinging on Hamas disarmament, failed. Israeli military occupation expands, and Palestinian suffering continues. Trump's co-conspirator Benjamin Netanyahu is now devastating southern Lebanon, obstructing a US-Iran deal.
The broader problem is a lack of respected, impartial mediators and bold political risk-takers. Ceasefires in Yemen, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have also failed. Visceral mistrust, intransigence, and zero-sum thinking prevent lasting settlements.
Trump's failures reflect a new world disorder where diplomacy is sidelined. Ordinary people pay the price as wars rage unchecked, and the global economy suffers. The era of skilled peacemakers like Kofi Annan and George Mitchell seems distant.
