While striving to mediate the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Donald Trump highlighted his experience in peace negotiations at the beginning of his second term. How many wars has the American president actually stopped?
Speaking at the White House on August 18, where he was pressed by European leaders to insist on a ceasefire, Trump stated: „I have ended six wars… all these agreements have been made without even mentioning the word ‘ceasefire’.”
The next day, the number increased to "seven wars."
The Trump administration says that it is long overdue for a Nobel Peace Prize that the "chief peacemaker" deserves and listed the "wars" it is presumed to have ended.
Some lasted only a few days - although they were the result of long-standing tensions - and it is not clear if some of the peace agreements will stand the test of time. Additionally, Trump has repeatedly used the term "ceasefire" when discussing them on his Truth Social platform.
BBC analyzed these conflicts and showed how much credit the US president can claim for ending them.
Israel and Iran
The 12-day conflict began on June 13 when Israel targeted Iranian sites.
Trump confirmed being informed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the attacks. The US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites - a move widely seen as bringing the conflict to a swift end.
On June 23, Trump posted: "Officially, Iran will begin CEASEFIRE and at 12 o'clock Israel will begin CEASEFIRE, and at 24 o'clock the world will welcome an official END of the 12-DAY WAR."
After the hostilities ended, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted that his country achieved a "decisive victory" and did not mention a ceasefire.
Israel later suggested it could strike Iran again to counter new threats.
"There is no agreement on a permanent peace or how to monitor Iran's nuclear program in the future. So what we have is more of a de facto ceasefire than an end to the war (...) because Israel's significant strategic weakening of Iran - with US assistance - has been substantial," says Michael O'Hanlon, a senior researcher at the Brookings Institution think tank.
Pakistan and India
Tensions between these two nuclear-armed countries have existed for years, but in May, hostilities broke out following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
After four days of attacks, Trump announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "COMPLETE AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE." He said this was the result of "a long night of discussions mediated by the United States."
Pakistan thanked Trump and later nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his "decisive diplomatic intervention." This came after Trump received a nomination from Romania in March:
India, however, downplayed US involvement: "Discussions on the cessation of military actions took place directly between India and Pakistan through existing channels established between both armies," said Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo
Long-standing hostilities between these two countries reignited at the beginning of the year after the M23 rebel group occupied mineral-rich territories in eastern DR Congo.
In June, the two countries signed a peace agreement in Washington aimed at ending decades of conflict. Trump said this would help boost trade between them and the US.
Since the most recent agreement, both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, and the M23 rebels have threatened to withdraw from peace talks.
In July, the rebel group killed at least 140 people, including women and children, in eastern DR Congo, according to Human Rights Watch.
"There are still fights between Congo and Rwanda - so the ceasefire was never truly valid," says Margaret MacMillan, a history professor who taught at the University of Oxford.
Thailand and Cambodia
On July 26, Trump posted on Truth Social: "I'm calling the interim Prime Minister of Thailand right now to request, also, a ceasefire and ENDING THE WAR, which is currently wreaking havoc."
A few days later, the two countries agreed to an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" after less than a week of border clashes.
Malaysia facilitated peace talks, but President Trump threatened to halt separate negotiations on reducing American tariffs (import taxes) if Thailand and Cambodia did not cease fighting.
Both states heavily rely on exports to the US.
On August 7, Thailand and Cambodia reached an agreement aimed at reducing tensions along their common border.
Armenia and Azerbaijan
Leaders of both countries have stated that Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in securing a peace agreement, according to an announcement made at the White House on August 8.
"I think he deserves significant credit here - the signing ceremony in the Oval Office could have pushed the parties towards peace," admits O'Hanlon.
In March, the two governments declared they were ready to end the nearly 40-year conflict sparked by the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory.
Egypt and Ethiopia
There was no "war" for the president to end in this case, but there have been long-standing tensions related to a dam on the Nile River.
Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile was completed this summer, with Egypt claiming that the volume of water it receives from the river could be affected.
After 12 years of disagreements, Egypt's Foreign Minister stated on June 29 that talks with Ethiopia had stalled.
Trump said: "If I were Egypt, I would want the Nile water." He promised that the US would solve the issue very quickly.
Egypt welcomed Trump's words, but Ethiopian officials said they risked escalating tensions.
No formal agreement has been reached between Egypt and Ethiopia to resolve their differences.
Serbia and Kosovo
On June 27, Trump claimed to have prevented hostilities between the two neighbors, saying: "Serbia and Kosovo were about to go to war, it was going to be a big war. I told them: if you go to war, there is no trade with the United States. They said: well, maybe we won't go to war."
The two countries have long had a dispute - a legacy of the Balkan wars of the 1990s - with tensions escalating in recent years.
"Serbia and Kosovo have not fought and shot at each other, so it is not a war to end," emphasized Professor MacMillan.
The White House, however, points to Trump's diplomatic efforts in his first term to ease tensions in the region. The two countries signed economic normalization agreements in the Oval Office with the president in 2020, but they were not at war at that time.
T.D.