Can Trump pull off the impossible—and end not 1 but 3 wars?

Fresh off brokering a surprise ceasefire between India and Pakistan, U.S. President Donald Trump has now set his eyes on a broader goal: "world peace.”

With a foot in Gaza and another in Ukraine and eyes on Syria and Iran, Trump ended his Middle East tour last week.

Notably skipping Israel, the tour began with a diplomatic surprise: Hamas released American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander as a “goodwill gesture”for Trump. The group framed the release as a step toward a possible ceasefire, saying it followed days of talks with the U.S.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, said earlier he expected imminent progress on expanding the Abraham Accords, the normalization deals Trump brokered in his first term. But during meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), normalization with Israel remained off the table.

In a speech, Trump said Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel “in your own time”—a stark shift from his earlier pressure campaign. In fact, it was the Saudis now pressing the U.S. for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Sidelining Israel

Is the Trump administration really pushing Israel away to make room for broader regional peace?

“A little bit,” Syed Mohammad Ali, who teaches global security at Johns Hopkins University told Nukta. "The American establishment is under a lot of pressure because the world is watching what Israel is doing in Gaza.”

In Saudi Arabia, Trump met Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and lifted all sanctions on Syria, a development that has reignited hopes of economic revival in the war-battered nation.

The decision didn’t sit well with Israel, especially after Trump admitted the move came at the urging of MBS and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

For now, Israel remains hawkish. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting with IDF soldiers said the war will be paused and not stopped until the elimination of Hamas.

On Ukraine

Trump also offered to personally join peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, where the two sides met for direct talks after three years.

“Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey,” Trump said before departing for his Mideast tour.

Cagtay Cebe, a Turkey-based conflict researcher, said, “Trump wants to make a name for himself with a unique policy, in contrast to the conventional American policies pursued by his predecessors. He is trying to expand his playing field by befriending the countries that the Democrats have identified as enemies.”

Cebe added that Trump operates less like a bureaucrat and more like a businessman, calculating global affairs in terms of “profit and leverage."

What's on the cards?

Trump eventually did not stop at Istanbul, but his top envoy Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were present.

“The new White House ambassador to Ankara is very close to Trump,” Cebe said, hinting it could have played a role in the choice of venue for the talks.

After Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept Putin’s offer for talks, the Ukrainian president signaled he was open to meeting Putin in person. But Putin said he will not attend.

“You know if Putin doesn't come, the talks won't hold much weight,” said Ali.

U.S. officials say Kyiv has already agreed to a 30-day ceasefire covering land, air, sea, and infrastructure. The U.S. hopes Russia will sign on too—or face fresh EU sanctions.

“America is putting money in Ukraine, and of course it wants a return for it. That's one of the reasons it's pushing for ceasefire,” said Ali, hinting at the minerals deal.

Russian side

Meanwhile, Russia wants Ukraine to commit to permanent neutrality.

One of Moscow’s longstanding demands is that Ukraine never join NATO.

Russia sees NATO’s expansion toward its borders as a direct threat to its national security—a fear that has defined its posture toward Ukraine since the Cold War's end.

Putin has revived a 2022 draft deal, which Reuters has seen, in which Ukraine would adopt permanent neutrality in exchange for security guarantees from the UN Security Council’s five permanent members: the U.S., U.K., China, France, and Russia.

With one ceasefire already in hand, the question now is: Can Trump turn symbolic gestures into real peace—and end not one, but three wars?

It's too early to say, said Ali.

“Trump wants an environment of prosperity, where conflicts and wars end and global trade works in America's favor,” said Cebe.

So there might be hope after all.