The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan recently signed a peace agreement at the White House, aiming to end nearly 40 years of conflict. At the signing ceremony, US President Donald Trump proudly declared that the two countries pledged to permanently cease all hostilities.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has actively positioned himself as an international mediator, engaging in a string of geopolitical disputes. As early as his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours”, a slogan that won him substantial votes. After resuming office, he held multiple rounds of separate talks with the leaders of both countries, though a ceasefire has not yet been achieved.
Trump’s role as a mediator extended beyond Russia and Ukraine, offering him high-profile opportunities to shape outcomes in other conflicts. In May, when tensions between India and Pakistan escalated to the brink of war, he quickly claimed credit for the ceasefire that followed, insisting it was achieved through US mediation and even boasting that he prevented a war. The following month, Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on Iran, provoking retaliatory attacks. After the US military carried out precision strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump announced that a ceasefire between the two sides took effect.
He also helped broker a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, while leveraging trade deals to push Cambodia and Thailand toward resolving their border clashes. Buoyed by these successive developments, Trump proudly declared on social media that he had ended multiple wars in just six months, saying that “I am proud to be the President of PEACE!”
Yet his obsession with mediation is not driven purely by a love of peace. Part of his motivation is to maintain the narrative of US global hegemony. Since returning to office, Trump has championed “America First” doctrine, promoted isolationist and protectionist policies and withdrawn from international organizations, damaging the country’s international image. By actively mediating conflicts, he seeks to reassert the US’ role as a resolver of disputes and signal to the world that the US can still shape the international order.
Mediation also brings tangible rewards. The Armenia-Azerbaijan accord granted the US exclusive special development rights on the Zangezur Corridor land for 99 years. The DR Congo-Rwanda peace agreement explicitly opened the two countries’ mineral value chains to the US government and investors as appropriate. Even in the unresolved Russia-Ukraine case, Ukraine promised the US preferential rights to mineral extraction.
Domestic politics provides a further incentive. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Trump needs to solidify conservative support and win over swing voters to maintain Republican advantage in Congress. Acting as a peacemaker not only strengthens his own image but also reinforces his “America First” pledge to avoid full-scale wars, thereby shoring up his voter base.
A businessman at heart, Trump has carried his deal-making instincts into diplomacy, using political pressure, tariffs and lure of benefits to secure short-term ceasefires. Such quick fixes may temporarily stabilize situations but whether they can produce lasting peace is far less certain.
The views are extracted from Jiuwanli (meaning 90,000 Miles) account and do not necessarily reflect those of facts.org.cn.
