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

Secretary of State Rubio holds year-end news conference Fox News senior foreign policy correspondent Gillian Turner reports on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assessment of conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine on ‘Special Report.’ Donald Trump entered 2025 pledging to end wars and reorient U.S. foreign policy around what he repeatedly described as "peace through strength." Throughout the year, Trump has cast his diplomacy as peace-focused, telling reporters, "We think we have a way of getting peace," and publicly arguing that his record merited a Nobel Peace Prize. The U.S. State Department echoed that framing in its year-end summary of diplomatic efforts, highlighting initiatives it said aimed to "secure peace around the world." By the close of 2025, several conflicts saw impressive diplomatic progress, while others were still experiencing issues after years of hatred and violence. U.S. President Donald Trump holds the signed agreement of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Gaza (Israel-Hamas) The most consequential diplomatic development of the year came in early October, when the Trump administration helped broker a ceasefire framework between Israel and Hamas. The agreement halted large-scale fighting after months of intense combat and enabled the release of all remaining hostages from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, except for the body of Ron Gvili that remains held captive by Hamas terrorists. The administration later cited the ceasefire as a central element of its 2025 diplomatic record. While the truce largely held through the end of the year, core issues including Gaza’s long-term governance, demilitarization and enforcement mechanisms remained unresolved, as well as rebuilding the enclave after the massive destruction and displacement. U.S. officials continued working with regional partners on next steps as fighting paused, as Israel's Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Trump next week for talks on Gaza and other issues. US President Donald Trump (C), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (L) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan display the agreement they signed in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Aug. 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Armenia and Azerbaijan were committed to a permanent peace as he hosted a White House summit with the leaders of the two South Caucasus nations, which have fought for decades. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Armenia-Azerbaijan In August, Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House for a U.S.-brokered peace declaration aimed at addressing decades of conflict tied to Nagorno-Karabakh. The agreement focused on transit routes, economic cooperation and regional connectivity and was promoted by the administration as a historic step. While the historic declaration was signed, implementation and deeper reconciliation is still ongoing. President Donald Trump (R) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Ukraine-Russia war Ukraine remained the most ambitious and elusive peace target of Trump’s 2025 agenda....

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