I’ve ended, you know, eight wars that we just mentioned. I don’t think any President has stopped one war. I stopped eight wars in eight months.
— President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed to have “ended eight wars” during his second term in office, a statement that significantly exaggerates his diplomatic achievements and includes conflicts that were not actual wars, remain unresolved, or involved minimal U.S. involvement.
The Reality
Trump’s assertion inflates reality by including disputes that military experts and historians do not classify as wars, as well as ongoing conflicts that remain far from resolved. According to fact-checkers and diplomatic analysts, while Trump has played a role in some ceasefire agreements and peace talks, his characterization of these achievements as “ending wars” stretches the truth considerably.
The eight conflicts Trump references include: Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and, most recently, Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
What Actually Happened
Armenia and Azerbaijan: Trump hosted leaders at the White House in August 2025, where they signed a peace agreement after nearly 40 years of territorial disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh. This represents one of Trump’s most legitimate diplomatic achievements, though neighboring Iran and Russia have objected to the deal.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda: The countries signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement at the White House in June 2025. However, the Congolese army and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group have since accused each other of violating the agreement by carrying out attacks and building up troops.
Israel and Iran: Trump bombed Iran during a 12-day conflict in June 2025, then brokered a ceasefire. Military analysts question Trump’s claim to have made peace, given that the U.S. was an active combatant rather than a neutral mediator. Israel has indicated it may attack Iran again if the country rebuilds its nuclear program.
India and Pakistan: Trump announced a “full and immediate ceasefire” between the nuclear-armed nations in May 2025 after a brief escalation over Kashmir. However, India has repeatedly rejected the idea that Trump negotiated the ceasefire, stating that discussions were conducted directly between the two countries through existing military channels.
Cambodia and Thailand: The countries agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in July 2025 after a five-day cross-border conflict. The truce was immediately tested when both countries accused each other of carrying out subsequent attacks.
Egypt and Ethiopia: The White House lists this as a resolved conflict from Trump’s first term, though there has been neither a war nor a peace agreement. The countries remain locked in a diplomatic standoff over Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile River, with Egypt accusing Ethiopia in July of lacking the political will to reach a deal.
Serbia and Kosovo: This conflict dates to Trump’s first term and involves ongoing tensions over Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, which Serbia does not recognize. The dispute over national identity and territorial claims continues to simmer.
Israel and Hamas: Trump announced this as his “eighth war” during an October 2025 address to the Israeli Knesset, following a ceasefire and hostage exchange. However, the agreement remains in its early, fragile stages, with significant work still required before a formal end to hostilities can be declared.
Historical Context
Trump’s additional claim that “we’ve never had a president that solved one war” is demonstrably false. U.S. presidents have been instrumental in ending World War I, World War II, and the Gulf War. President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for mediating a peace agreement that ended the Russo-Japanese War. President Jimmy Carter negotiated the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, and President Bill Clinton significantly contributed to the 1995 peace agreement that concluded the Bosnian War.
The Nobel Peace Prize Push
Trump has repeatedly suggested he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts, stating in October 2025, “I deserve it, but they would never give it to me”. He has also claimed he used “the power of tariffs and the power of trade” to settle five of the eight conflicts. The Nobel Committee did not award Trump the prize in 2025.
Associated Press. 2025. “Trump claims he’s ended eight wars, including Gaza. His accomplishments are inflated.” October 13, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-eight-wars-trump-ended-fact-check-ff41789ca242462c1c0ab65eb4ae8c7e.
CNN. 2025. “Fact check: Trump falsely claims no other president has ever ended a war.” October 17, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/fact-check-trump-president-end-war.
Axios. 2025. “Nobel Peace Prize: Trump says he ended ‘8 wars.’ Here’s what really happened.” October 10, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2025/10/10/gaza-trump-wars-ended-israel-nobel-prize.
CNN. 2025. “Did Trump really end six — or seven — wars?” August 19, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/politics/donald-trump-six-wars-claim.
Axios. 2025. “The ‘6 wars’ Trump says he ended and their current status.” August 19, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/trump-ended-wars-stop-ukraine-israel-iran.
PBS NewsHour. 2025. “6 fact checks from the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting.” August 18, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/6-fact-checks-from-the-trump-zelenskyy-meeting.
CNN. 2025. “Checking in on the ‘seven un-endable wars’ Trump did (not) end.” September 24, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/world/seven-unendable-wars-trump-intl.
Associated Press. 2025. “FACT FOCUS: Trump says he has ended seven wars. Accomplishments are mixed.” August 19, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/trump-peace-wars-claim-fact-check-10128b26232e1d1eb9e68c5617320cf3.
BBC. 2025. “How many wars has President Trump ended?” August 19, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y3599gx4qo.
NDTV. 2025. “5 Of 8 Wars Settled Using ‘Power Of Trade, Tariff’: US President Donald Trump.” October 20, 2025. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/5-of-8-wars-settled-using-power-of-trade-tariff-us-president-donald-trump-9489169.
Reuters. 2025. “Trump touts diplomatic legacy from Gaza to Congo in pitch for Nobel.” October 9, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-touts-his-diplomatic-record-results-are-mixed-2025-10-10/.
Yahoo News. 2025. “With a truce in Israel, Trump now says he’s ended eight wars. His accomplishments are inflated.” October 13, 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fact-focus-truce-israel-trump-173756843.html.
