Trump touts global peace efforts at NATO, but key conflicts and details remain unresolved

Trump touts global peace efforts at NATO, but key conflicts and details remain unresolved

US President Donald Trump spent less than 24 hours at the NATO summit in the Netherlands this week but used the visit to project himself as a global peacemaker. He claimed responsibility for cease-fires between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while also taking credit for getting NATO allies to meet defence spending goals. He repeatedly floated the idea that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, the New York Times reported.

Irritation over Ukraine question

Trump became visibly annoyed when asked during a news conference why he had not fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. He called the conflict “more difficult” than most people understood and blamed both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He offered no details and quickly moved on.

Substance sidelined at the summit

The NATO summit was shortened by Secretary General Mark Rutte to accommodate Trump’s preferences. The leaders avoided divisive topics, and the final communiqué—just five paragraphs long—barely mentioned Ukraine and ignored NATO’s evolving strategy toward Russia and China. Trump’s meetings with other leaders were brief and ceremonial, with little attention given to long-term policy.

Declarations without details

Trump offered sweeping claims about his diplomatic achievements, saying the Israel-Iran war had been resolved in just 12 days after simmering for decades. He insisted that Iran no longer had interest in nuclear weapons and said he saw no need for a formal agreement. When asked about this, he said he “didn’t care” about written assurances and was confident the issue was resolved.

Pursuit of recognition

Trump continued to express frustration that his diplomatic efforts had not earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. On Truth Social, he complained that he would never win the award, no matter the outcome of conflicts he claimed to have resolved. He later reposted a message from Representative Claudia Tenney, who announced she had nominated him for the prize, saying “the people know” what he has done.

Praise for NATO funding, criticism on everything else

Some analysts agreed that Trump had succeeded in securing higher military spending from NATO allies, a long-time priority of his. Ian Bremmer of Eurasia Group called it one of Trump’s strongest foreign policy weeks of his second term. But he also criticized the summit’s lack of substantive discussions, saying Trump “gets bored quickly” and prioritizes optics over sustained engagement.

Unverified peace claims raise doubts

India’s foreign ministry denied Trump’s claim that he brokered a cease-fire with Pakistan, and Iran has not publicly affirmed any agreement. The Rwanda-DRC situation remains unstable. Nonetheless, Trump continues to present himself as the central figure in efforts to prevent global conflict, with little emphasis on enforcement or verification.