Did Donald Trump Really End Seven Wars? A Deep Dive Into His Nobel Peace Prize Obsession

Last Updated:August 27, 2025, 12:00 IST

Trump’s Nobel obsession isn't new. In 2019 he cited Japan’s Abe for nominating him, in 2020 he claimed Ethiopia’s PM stole it, by 2025 he said he 'deserved' it but wouldn't get it

News18

Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed “peace president," is at it again, trumpeting his case for the Nobel Peace Prize. In a world where humility is a foreign concept, the US president has spent years lamenting the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s failure to anoint him for what he claims are world-saving diplomatic feats. His latest boast? Ending seven wars—six in his second term alone, plus one from his first.

From the White House to Truth Social, Trump and his cheerleaders insist he is the ultimate peacemaker, a dealmaker extraordinaire who has tamed global conflicts with a wave of his hand (and maybe a tariff threat or two).

But as the dust settles on his claims, one question lingers: Has Trump really ended these wars, or is he just rebranding ceasefires and wishful thinking as Nobel-worthy triumphs?

Let’s understand the seven conflicts he is crowing about, with a dose of scepticism for the “greatest show on Earth."

Why Is Trump Obsessed With The Nobel Prize?

Trump’s Nobel fixation is not new — it is practically a personality trait. Back in 2019, he clutched a letter from Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, waving it like a golden ticket, claiming it was a nomination for his North Korea talks with Kim Jong Un. “I’ll probably never get it," he sighed, taking a jab at Barack Obama, who snagged the prize in 2009 for, in Trump’s words, “being there for 15 seconds."

In 2020, he grumbled that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali stole his Nobel for a peace deal that Trump insisted he influenced. By 2024, at a Detroit rally, he was at it again: “If I were named Obama, I’d have had the Nobel Prize in 10 seconds."

And in 2025, during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump declared, “They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me."

His team’s on board, too. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has turned White House briefings into Nobel pep rallies, proclaiming it’s “well past time" for Trump’s coronation as the “peace president."

On August 18, Trump told world leaders he’d settled “six deals" that ended wars. A day later, on Fox and Friends, he upped the count to seven, leaving everyone wondering what new war he’d magically resolved overnight. The White House later released a list of these supposed victories, but as we’ll see, the reality is less “world peace" and more “world-class spin."

A Closer Look At The Seven Wars

Trump’s list of “ended" wars spans continents and conflicts, from the Himalayas to the Nile. But how much credit does he really deserve? Let’s break it down, war by war, with a raised eyebrow or two.

1. Armenia and Azerbaijan: A Win, Sort Of

In August, Trump hosted Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House, where they signed a joint declaration aimed at ending their decades-long feud over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region, a flashpoint since the Soviet collapse, saw fresh fighting in 2023 when Azerbaijan seized it. Both leaders nominated Trump for the Nobel, and analysts grudgingly admit this is his strongest case. The deal’s a step forward, but it is not a full peace treaty—more like a handshake with crossed fingers. Azerbaijan still occupies bits of Armenia, and border issues fester. Additionally, Russia’s waning influence in the Caucasus did some of the heavy lifting. But was that medal worthy?

2. Thailand and Cambodia: Tariffs As Peacemakers

When gunfire erupted along the Thailand-Cambodia border in July, leaving 35 dead and thousands displaced, Trump swooped in, or so he says. He posted on Truth Social about calling Thailand’s acting prime minister to demand a ceasefire, threatening to yank US trade concessions if the fighting continued. A deal was signed on August 7, but here is a catch: Malaysia hosted the talks, not the US. Experts call Trump’s role “transactional," using economic leverage to pause hostilities. The underlying border dispute, simmering for a century, remains unresolved. So, did Trump end a war or just bribe the combatants to chill? You decide.

3. Rwanda And The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Shaky Handshake

The mineral-rich eastern DRC has been a battleground for years, with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels clashing with Congolese forces. In June, Trump brought both nations’ foreign ministers to Washington to sign a deal honouring a 2024 ceasefire. He called it a fix for “one of the worst wars ever." But the M23 rebels, key players in the conflict, were not at the table and do not consider the deal binding. Fighting continues, and experts say Trump’s intervention is a “step" at best, not a resolution. Nobel for effort? Perhaps, but peace is nowhere in sight.

4. Israel And Iran: Bombs, Then A Ceasefire

In June, after 12 days of Israeli strikes and US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump announced a ceasefire, claiming he’d ended a “30-year simmering war." Netanyahu praised him, even handing over a Nobel nomination letter at a White House dinner. Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, however, scoffed, saying the strikes “achieved nothing." Analysts agree: This was no peace deal, just a pause in hostilities. Tensions remain sky-high, and calling this a resolved war is like calling a timeout a championship win. Trump’s military involvement—rare for his “peace" claims—muddies the narrative further.

5. India And Pakistan: A Ceasefire, Not A Cure

The Kashmir conflict, a 78-year saga between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, flared up in May after an attack in Pahalgam in April. Trump claimed he mediated a ceasefire through a “long night of talks," earning Pakistan’s Nobel nomination. India, however, threw cold water on the story, insisting the deal was struck directly between the two nations, with zero US involvement. Experts call this Trump’s flimsiest claim—Kashmir’s deep-rooted issues are far from resolved. If Trump thinks he ended this war, he is dreaming bigger than his Truth Social follower count.

6. Egypt and Ethiopia: Water Wars And Wishful Thinking

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has pitted Ethiopia against Egypt for 12 years, with Cairo fearing reduced Nile water flow. Trump posted that he would “solve" the dispute, bizarrely claiming the US funded the dam (Ethiopia says it was self-financed). No agreement exists, and talks collapsed in June. Trump’s involvement? Mostly social media bluster. Calling this a “war ended" is like claiming he fixed climate change with a tweet.

7. Serbia and Kosovo: Trade Threats as Diplomacy

In June, tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, unresolved since Kosovo’s 2008 independence, threatened to boil over. Trump claimed he prevented a “big war" by threatening trade sanctions. Kosovo’s president acknowledged some US role, but the White House only pointed to a 2020 economic normalisation deal from Trump’s first term. No new peace agreement exists, and the conflict’s roots remain untouched. This “war ended" claim feels like a rerun sold as a blockbuster.

The Abraham Accords: The Jewel In Trump’s Crown

Not on the “seven wars" list but central to Trump’s Nobel pitch are the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020. These normalised ties between Israel and Bahrain, the UAE, and later Morocco and Sudan, reshaping Middle East dynamics. Hailed as a “watershed moment," they have held despite the Israel-Hamas conflict. Trump’s team argues this alone deserves a Nobel, and they are not entirely wrong—it is a rare diplomatic win with lasting impact. But Saudi Arabia’s absence from the accords remains a sticking point, and Trump’s fixation on it feels like he is trying to polish an already shiny trophy.

Why The Nobel Push? Ego and Optics

Trump’s Nobel quest is less about peace and more about legacy. He is openly envious of Obama’s 2009 win, which he mocks as unearned. His supporters, from Netanyahu to Cambodia’s Hun Manet, have nominated him over 10 times, but experts smell diplomacy, not sincerity—world leaders know flattery gets Trump’s ear.

The Ukraine war, still raging despite his August talks with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is his biggest test. If he pulls off a real deal there, the Nobel chatter might gain traction. For now, it is more about managing conflicts with trade threats than resolving their causes, as analysts note. Trump’s “peace president" brand thrives on optics, not outcomes.

Can He Win It?

The Nobel Committee, five Norwegians who would probably rather eat lutefisk than wade into Trump’s orbit, faces 338 candidates in 2025. Trump’s chances? Slim. At least three members have publicly criticised him, and his mix of bravado and military strikes does not scream “peace." His transactional style — tariffs or aid—may pause fights, but is not equivalent to Mandela or Malala’s trajectory. The Abraham Accords are his best shot, but even that is overshadowed by ongoing Gaza and Ukraine conflicts.

What To Conclude?

Trump’s claim of ending seven wars is a stretch, to put it mildly. Some, like Armenia-Azerbaijan, show real progress; others, like Egypt-Ethiopia, are pure fiction. His team’s relentless Nobel drumbeat, amplified by allies abroad, is more about ego than evidence.

Even as he held talks with Putin in Alaska or held Middle East summits, Trump is chasing a prize that has eluded him for a decade. Will he get it? Probably not, but as he says, “the people know". And for Trump, that’s the real win—no medal required.

Shilpy Bisht

Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev...Read More

Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her prev...

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August 27, 2025, 12:00 IST

News explainers Did Donald Trump Really End Seven Wars? A Deep Dive Into His Nobel Peace Prize Obsession