When US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for a peace summit on August 8, the statement issued by the White House not only highlighted Trump’s role as peacemaker in the bitter decades-long conflict, but also listed other wars around the world where the US president had brought peace. 

“President Trump is the President of Peace,” said the statement (using bold type for emphasis). It continued: “President Trump is proving that nations across the globe can move beyond longstanding conflicts of the past toward a shared future of peace, prosperity and success.” 

This followed very similar comments made by Trump himself at a joint press conference with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, during his recent visit to Scotland and on the Truth Social network. 

All of these — along with proposals from some of his international interlocutors that Trump is a deserving candidate — point to the obvious conclusion that the US president is angling for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

Trump, now in his second term, has repeatedly mentioned the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Barack Obama as a benchmark he is determined to match. 

“Trump seems desperate to secure a Nobel Peace Prize - it’s the one thing that former President Obama secured which Trump is lacking,” emerging markets strategist Tim Ash said in a comment emailed to bne IntelliNews. 

“We’ve been very successful in settling wars,” he told reporters during the meeting with Rutte, embarking on a stream of consciousness listing conflicts he claims to have resolved, including India-Pakistan, Rwanda-Congo and Serbia-Kosovo. “I used trade for a lot of things, but it’s great for settling wars.”

Trump has also touted US involvement in talks between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Cairo says threatens its Nile water supply. “It’s nice when the Nile River has water,” Trump quipped at the event with Rutte, blaming previous administrations for failing to resolve the issue before the dam was built.

His list of claimed diplomatic successes also includes Rwanda-Congo — “seven million people killed [with] weapons like machetes, heads chopped off” — and averting nuclear war between India and Pakistan through trade leverage.

The portrayal of Trump as an international peacemaker is in stark contrast to his record of dividing the population of his own country, launching attacks on abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, a wide range of US institutions and especially migrants. 

Trump has ordered the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes across federal agencies and opened investigations into private companies and universities suspected of “illegal DEI”. He has initiated a vast detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, designed to hold up to 30,000 migrants, and the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades. Trump has also deployed Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles and has now taken direct control of Washington D.C.’s police force, moves opponents call unconstitutional.

All of these are hardly the actions of a peacemaker — at least on the domestic front. 

Internationally, however, he has clearly intensified his drive to be seen as a global peacemaker, pursuing a flurry of high-profile mediation efforts since his return to office in January. 

But how do these stand up to scrutiny? bne IntelliNews' correspondents around the world examined whether the peace deals claimed by Trump are real breakthroughs or merely presented as such. 

Armenia-Azerbaijan deal

The summit between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the White House on August 8 was described by Trump online as an “official Peace Signing Ceremony”. The White House statement issued that day also said “the two leaders signed a historic joint declaration for peace”, hailing it as the end of the decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh. Both leaders publicly suggested he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his role.

But as more details later emerged, it became clear that the two sides initialled — but did not sign — a 17-point treaty whose wording had been finalised in March after years of talks involving Russia, the European Union as well as the US. The last major fighting ended in 2023, when Azerbaijan consolidated its gains from the 2020 war using drone technology.

“The declaration does not constitute a peace agreement that would end the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has persisted since the late 1980s,” wrote Wojciech Górecki, senior fellow in the department for Turkey, Caucasus and Central Asia at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW). 

“Azerbaijan has made its signing conditional on amending the preamble to Armenia’s constitution with its reference to Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku regards as a challenge to its territorial integrity. Armenia has not ruled out amendments to its constitution, but has noted that this would require time and compliance with relevant procedures,” Górecki elaborated. 

Ash wrote that the Trump administration could claim credit for pushing through final security guarantees for the Zangezur transit corridor between Azerbaijan and the exclave of Nakhchivan, now rebranded as the Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). 

“To be fair the Trump administration can take some credit for getting the signing over the line over the past few months,” he said. 

“The Trump administration did, however, take up a prior European initiative (taking the glory) to provide security guarantees for the Zangezur transit corridor between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. This certainly was a factor in enabling the signing of the deal over the past week and credit to the Trump administration there. But it would be wrong to suggest that the Trump administration brought an end to the war — that had already ended in 2023.”

Cambodia and Thailand

In the case of the recent border spat between Cambodia and Thailand Trump placed significant economic pressure on both countries, publicly warning that trade agreements with the US would be halted if hostilities continued. At one point he threatened tariffs of up to 36% for both Thailand and Cambodia according to The Washington Post. He also personally contacted the leaders of both countries, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai, urging them to end the conflict and pursue peace talks, which ultimately led to peace talks in Malaysia.

Following a ceasefire being agreed, he was somewhat unexpectedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his “extraordinary statesmanship” in helping end the conflict by Cambodia.

Israel and Iran

Trump played a direct role in achieving at least a temporary ceasefire between Iran and Israel in June 2025 following his self-titled "12-day Israel-Iran war". 

The ceasefire, which significantly reduced hostilities after a period of intense military escalation, was mediated by the United States and Qatar, with Trump on the White House lawn swearing and actively pressing both sides to agree, and subsequently intervening to prevent further military retaliation by Israel following alleged Iranian violations. 

After announcing the deal, Trump expressed hope for a more permanent peace, repeatedly stating in public that Iran and Israel "should and will make a deal". Sources indicate that the US is involved in ongoing diplomatic efforts, leveraging regional actors like Qatar and Oman and pushing for dialogue on Iran’s nuclear programme and related security guarantees. Since the return to everyday low-level tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv, the Trump administration has publicly voiced optimism about moving beyond ceasefires to more substantive agreements. 

What could potentially be seen as a new era for the region is likely to be tempered by Iranian moves to purchase new fighter jets from China following the war, something that has not been confirmed by either side yet, with talk on the Iranian side of potentially relying on other regional states like Pakistan for its aerial protection. 

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) signed a new peace accord in June aimed at halting decades of violence in eastern DR Congo, where fighting has surged in recent months. Brokered by the US and Qatar, the agreement outlines plans for the withdrawal of foreign troops, the disarmament of militias, and the conditional integration of armed factions into national structures.

The deal follows a major escalation earlier this year, when the M23 rebel movement seized significant territory from Congolese forces. Kinshasa and international observers have accused Kigali of backing M23 — allegations Rwanda denies, insisting its military presence is focused on countering the FDLR, a militia it claims is supported by the Congolese government.

The accord was signed in Washington by the foreign ministers of both countries in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It committed Rwanda to pulling its troops out of eastern Congo within 90 days, while both countries also plan to establish a framework for regional economic cooperation in the same period. Rubio hailed the agreement as a “step toward hope”, though he acknowledged challenges ahead.

Trump, speaking at the signing, claimed credit for securing “mineral rights” for the United States as part of the deal — remarks that drew criticism for politicising the accord. He also described the long-running conflict as “one of the worst wars anyone has ever seen”.

Vice President JD Vance commented: "Under @POTUS' leadership, we've taken what was 30 years of killing and war … and now we're on a pathway to peace.”

Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, uncertainties remain. Key questions include whether M23 will relinquish control of captured areas, if Rwanda will fully withdraw, how the FDLR will be disarmed, and whether refugee returns and humanitarian access, including reopening Goma airport, will follow. Past peace initiatives, such as two Angola-brokered agreements last year, have collapsed, fuelling doubts over whether this latest effort can bring lasting stability.

India and Pakistan

During the India-Pakistan conflict which escalated in late April to full on air-raids by early May, Vance reached out to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Rubio contacted Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir. Rubio also offered US assistance to start talks to prevent further escalation. These efforts contributed to an initial, albeit fragile ceasefire by May 10.

Trump himself took to social media and used press statements to try and take the credit for peace, claiming the US had essentially brokered the ceasefire and that trade incentives played a crucial role.

It was then revealed in late June by the BBC by way of the social media platform X, that the Pakistani government had also nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize saying he deserved it "in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis".

Egypt and Ethiopia

Trump recently turned his attention to the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a $5bn hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile. 

“There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way!” Trump commented in a Truth Social post on June 15, referring to the two countries’s “fight over a massive dam that is having an effect on the magnificent Nile River”. 

Cairo fears the dam will cut its vital share of the river’s water, while Ethiopia sees it as key to lifting millions from poverty and exporting electricity. The dam, Africa’s largest, began construction in 2011 and was completed this year, with Addis Ababa inviting Egypt and Sudan to its planned September inauguration.

Trump brought up the dam at his press conference with Rutte on July 14. “[The Ethiopians are] friends of mine, but they happened to build a dam which closed up water going into a thing called the Nile. I think if I'm Egypt, I want to have water in the Nile and we're working on that one,” he said, adding that “we think we're going to have that solved very quickly”. 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warmly welcomed the comments in a Facebook post in which he enthused about the US president’s “endeavours to install peace, stability and security in the nations of the region and the world”. 

However, Trump’s claim that “I think the United States funded the dam” was quickly refuted by Ethiopian officials, who pointed out that it was financed from domestic sources. Moreover, Ethiopia rejects accusations of harming downstream nations with the dam. 

During Trump’s first term, the US mediated in the Ethiopia-Egypt-Sudan dam dispute, with then treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin leading talks from late 2019. In February 2020, Washington urged Ethiopia not to begin filling the dam without an agreement, prompting an Ethiopian backlash under #itismydam. In September 2020, as the US presidential election approached, the US cut some aid to Ethiopia over stalled negotiations. 

Under the Biden presidency, Washington maintained engagement, with Biden reaffirming support for Egypt’s water security in July 2022 and calling for a diplomatic resolution.

Serbia and Kosovo

As Trump’s first term neared its end he hosted the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia at the White House in September 2020 to finalise what was billed as the “historic” Washington Agreement. The arrangement consisted of two separate documents, signed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s then-prime minister, Avdullah Hoti.

The pact, largely brokered by Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell, bypassed ongoing EU-led talks and focused on economic cooperation rather than political issues. Its provisions included temporary pauses in Serbia’s de-recognition campaign and Kosovo’s efforts to join international bodies. Establishing diplomatic relations with Israel was also part of the deal.

Critics argued the agreement was hastily assembled as a pre-election foreign policy win for Trump, with few concrete implementation plans. 

After the leftwing nationalist Vetevendosje’s election win in Kosovo, the party blocked an opposition proposal to ratify the Washington Agreement, effectively stalling the deal. Vetevendosje leader and Prime Minister Albin Kurti strongly criticised the deal, and moreover explicitly accused Grenell of scheming to unseat his previous government in 2020 to get a more amenable partner in Pristina.

A breakthrough appeared possible in March 2023 (long after Trump left office), when the EU brokered the so-called Ohrid Agreement on normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina. However, while Kosovo signed the deal, Serbia offered only verbal assent. Since then, tensions have escalated, particularly in Serb-majority northern Kosovo, where violent incidents have further strained relations.

Abraham Accords

Trump was the architect and driving force of the original Abraham Accords, which were announced in August and September 2020 and signed at the White House on September 15, 2020.

The accords established diplomatic normalisation between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, making them the first Arab countries to recognise Israel since Jordan in 1994. Morocco and Sudan subsequently joined, though Sudan's agreement remains unratified.

Trump views the Abraham Accords as the most significant policy achievement of his first term, even suggesting he could win a Nobel Peace Prize because of it. 

The final hurdle would be to get the largest Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country, Saudi Arabia, to join the agreement, which would allow Israeli technology and money to flow into the Kingdom, but that potential agreement hinges upon the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, after the disaster in Gaza and more than 60,000 deaths at the hands of Israel and Hamas since the initial 2023 Hamas and Islamic Jihad assault on southern Israel, a deal with the Kingdom looks even further away. 

Ukraine-Russia war 

After months of appearing to lose interest in Ukraine - turning his attention to India and Pakistan, Gaza, Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Nile dam dispute - Trump abruptly revived his focus on the war in July.

“With other options narrowing Trump likely now views bringing an end to the war in Ukraine as the big prize for him to win his coveted Nobel prize” Ash said. “However, he seems to be going about it though in a very cack handed way.

The US president is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. 

The talks are already controversial as they sideline both Ukraine and the EU. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will not be invited, prompting outrage in Kyiv at the prospect of decisions being made without its participation. Zelenskiy insists no territory can be ceded to Russia, despite vague discussion of “land swaps”. 

Trump stated on August 12 that both Kyiv and Moscow would need to give up land for a settlement, telling reporters he would know “probably in the first two minutes” if progress was possible. “I’m going to be telling him, ‘You’ve got to end this war,’” Trump said. “I may leave and say, ‘Good luck.’”

Confusion surrounds what a land swap might involve. A recent meeting between Putin and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff initially led to claims Russia would withdraw from Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, but Witkoff later admitted Putin made no such offer.

European leaders and Zelenskiy hope to speak with Trump before the Alaska summit but remain largely excluded, with the White House signalling a “take it or leave it” deal could be presented to Kyiv. Leaked details suggest the terms would meet most Kremlin demands, leaving Ukraine with limited security guarantees and little else.