Trump’s peace through strength in 2025: where wars stopped and rivals came to the table

Donald Trump entered 2025 pledging to extremity wars and reorient U.S. overseas argumentation astir what helium repeatedly described arsenic "peace done strength."

Throughout the year, Trump has formed his diplomacy arsenic peace-focused, telling reporters, "We deliberation we person a mode of getting peace," and publically arguing that his grounds merited a Nobel Peace Prize. The U.S. State Department echoed that framing successful its year-end summary of diplomatic efforts, highlighting initiatives it said aimed to "secure bid astir the world."

By the adjacent of 2025, respective conflicts saw awesome diplomatic progress, portion others were inactive experiencing issues aft years of hatred and violence.

'IT TOOK 3,000 YEARS': TRUMP HERALDS 'GOLDEN AGE OF THE MIDDLE EAST' IN SPEECHES TO ARAB LEADERS, ISRAEL

U.S. President Donald Trump holds the signed statement of the archetypal signifier of the Gaza ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas, successful Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025.  (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Gaza (Israel–Hamas)

The astir consequential diplomatic improvement of the twelvemonth came successful aboriginal October, erstwhile the Trump medication helped broker a ceasefire model betwixt Israel and Hamas. The statement halted large-scale warring aft months of aggravated combat and enabled the merchandise of each remaining hostages from Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught connected Israel, but for the assemblage of Ron Gvili that remains held captive by Hamas terrorists. 

The medication aboriginal cited the ceasefire arsenic a cardinal constituent of its 2025 diplomatic record. While the truce mostly held done the extremity of the year, halfway issues including Gaza’s semipermanent governance, demilitarization and enforcement mechanisms remained unresolved, arsenic good arsenic rebuilding the enclave aft the monolithic demolition and displacement. U.S. officials continued moving with determination partners connected adjacent steps arsenic warring paused, arsenic Israel's Netanyahu is expected to conscionable with President Trump adjacent week for talks connected Gaza and different issues. 

US President Donald Trump (C), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (L) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan show the statement they signed successful the State Dining Room of the White House successful Washington, DC connected Aug. 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Armenia and Azerbaijan were committed to a imperishable bid arsenic helium hosted a White House acme with the leaders of the 2 South Caucasus nations, which person fought for decades. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Armenia–Azerbaijan

In August, Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan astatine the White House for a U.S.-brokered bid declaration aimed astatine addressing decades of struggle tied to Nagorno-Karabakh. The statement focused connected transit routes, economical practice and determination connectivity and was promoted by the medication arsenic a historical step.

While the historical declaration was signed, implementation and deeper reconciliation is inactive ongoing.

President Donald Trump (R) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) arsenic helium arrives astatine Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson connected Aug. 15, 2025 successful Anchorage, Alaska.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Ukraine–Russia war

Ukraine remained the astir ambitious and elusive bid people of Trump’s 2025 agenda. The twelvemonth opened with Trump insisting the warfare could beryllium ended done nonstop U.S. engagement and leverage implicit some Kyiv and Moscow. Diplomacy intensified successful August, erstwhile Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin successful Alaska, a acme framed by the White House arsenic a trial of whether idiosyncratic diplomacy could unlock a settlement.

In parallel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was received astatine the White House, wherever Trump reiterated U.S. enactment for Ukraine portion signaling that immoderate bid would necessitate hard compromises. U.S. officials explored information guarantees and economical incentives, portion avoiding nationalist commitments connected borders oregon NATO membership.

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE 

Ukrainian servicemen of the 44th artillery brigade occurrence a 2s22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions astatine the frontline successful the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo)

By December, talks accelerated. Ukraine entered caller rounds of U.S.-led negotiations, and Trump told reporters the sides were "getting adjacent to something." On Christmas Zelenskyy said talks with U.S. officials had produced a 20-point program and accompanying documents that see information guarantees involving Ukraine, the United States and European partners. He acknowledged the model was not flawless but described it arsenic a tangible measurement forward. Zelenskyy is reportedly readying a sojourn to conscionable with President Trump, perchance arsenic soon arsenic Sunday.

Bloomberg reported that Russia views the 20-point program agreed to betwixt Ukraine and the U.S. arsenic lone a starting point. According to a idiosyncratic adjacent to the Kremlin, Moscow intends to question cardinal changes, including further restrictions connected Ukraine’s military, arguing that the connection lacks provisions important to Russia and leaves galore questions unanswered.

VENEZUELAN DISSIDENT MACHADO CREDITS TRUMP FOR ADVANCING FREEDOM MOVEMENT, DEDICATES NOBEL TO HIM

President Donald Trump arrives for a signing ceremonial with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi astatine the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democratic Republic of Congo–Rwanda

In aboriginal December, Trump hosted the signing of the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity betwixt the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The statement reaffirmed commitments to extremity decades of struggle and grow economical practice done a determination integration framework.

By the extremity of the year, Reuters and the Associated Press reported that equipped groups remained progressive successful eastbound Congo, underscoring the fragility of the accord, though some sides seemed to beryllium invested successful a semipermanent peace.

Indian service officers stands defender adjacent Pahalgam successful southbound Kashmir aft assailants indiscriminately opened fired astatine tourists visiting Pahalgam, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Dar Yasin/AP Photo)

India–Pakistan

After a violent onslaught successful Kashmir and retaliatory strikes raised fears of escalation, U.S. officials engaged successful exigency diplomacy. Trump announced a ceasefire betwixt the 2 nuclear-armed rivals, with a perchance catastrophic escalation betwixt the 2 atomic powers avoided.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet shingle hands pursuing the signing of a Cambodia-Thailand bid woody arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump reacts astatine Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre connected October 26, 2025 successful Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Cambodia–Thailand borderline dispute

On the sidelines of an ASEAN summit, Trump helped mediate a ceasefire betwixt Cambodia and Thailand pursuing months of borderline clashes. 

Diplomatic efforts led by ASEAN and supported by outer parties are ongoing, but caller clashes and communal recriminations betwixt Thailand and Cambodia proceed to situation bid prospects and person led to large-scale displacement and civilian harm. Following the caller flare-ups, and with offers for mediation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a caller ceasefire was agreed upon connected Saturday to extremity weeks of warring connected the border.

B-2s  carried retired onslaught connected Iranian atomic sites successful June.  (U.S. Air Force photograph by Bobbie Garcia/Maxar Technologies via AP)

Iran–Israel confrontation

Following U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iranian atomic facilities, the Trump medication focused connected containing escalation and reinforcing deterrence. No diplomatic statement followed, but the confrontation did not grow into a broader determination warfare by year’s end.

ISRAELI HOSTAGES FREED, IRAN HIT, CEASEFIRE HELD — 2025 SHATTERED IDEA THAT US WAS EXITING THE MIDDLE EAST

Recently Israel warned that Iran mightiness usage its ballistic rocket drills arsenic a screen for a astonishment attack. 

Armed men salute the politician of Sudan's Red Sea State Mustafa Mahmud successful Port Sudan successful the war-torn state connected July 24, 2024. Sudan has been gripped by warfare since April 2023, erstwhile warring erupted betwixt forces loyal to service main Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his erstwhile lawman Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The struggle successful the state of 48 cardinal has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and triggered 1 of the world's worst humanitarian crises. (AFP via Getty Images)

Sudan

Sudan remained 1 of the world’s deadliest conflicts. U.S. diplomacy has focused chiefly connected efforts to halt warring and grow humanitarian entree alternatively than brokering a broad peace.

In December, Saudi Arabia and the United States presented Sudanese service main Abdel Fattah al-Burhan with a three-point connection aimed astatine ending the war, facilitating assistance transportation and transferring powerfulness to civilians, according to Sudan Tribune.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a ceremonial sword said to person belonged to independency leader Simon Bolivar during a government-organized civic-military march successful Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.  (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

Venezuela

As the twelvemonth closed, Venezuela emerged arsenic the United States’ clearest constituent of nonstop confrontation. The medication framed its posture arsenic an hold of its broader "peace done strength" doctrine, adjacent arsenic the hazard of escalation lingered.

While the White House pursued de-escalation and negotiated arrangements elsewhere, its attack toward Nicolás Maduro relied astir wholly connected pressure, not talks. Trump continued to formed Maduro arsenic a transgression menace tied to cause trafficking, accusing him of rejecting the results of Venezuela’s past predetermination and stealing the presidency.

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With nary diplomatic transmission open, the U.S. maintained sweeping sanctions and stepped up efforts against cartel networks linked to the regime. There was nary bid process successful show — but immoderate absorption figures and U.S. allies argued that sustained unit could inactive unit governmental alteration successful 2026, and yet hasten the extremity of Maduro’s rule.