Can Trump Really End the Russia Ukraine and Gaza Wars ?
The question we must ask
The world today is watching two wars that have shaken not only the regions where they are fought but also global politics. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 continues with no end in sight. In Gaza, the fighting between Israel and Hamas has caused immeasurable human suffering. Into this storm comes Donald Trump with bold promises. He says he can end the Russia Ukraine war quickly, and even more strikingly, that he can end the Gaza war in 24 hours once he returns to the White House.
These claims raise questions worth asking. Can one man really stop wars that are rooted in history, law, broken promises and deep mistrust? Or are such promises more politics than reality? Let us walk through the history, the law and some African experiences of peace to see what lessons can be drawn.
How Ukraine got here
The Russia Ukraine war did not begin in 2022. Its roots stretch back to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Ukraine declared independence. Russia never fully accepted losing influence over its neighbor. In 2014, protests in Kyiv toppled a pro Moscow government. Russia responded by annexing Crimea, an act condemned by the United Nations General Assembly and rejected by most of the world.
The annexation also gave rise to armed separatist groups in eastern Ukraine, supported by Moscow. Peace talks produced the Minsk agreements in 2014 and 2015, but those agreements were never fully carried out. By 2022, when Russia launched its full scale invasion, trust was already broken. NATO expansion, energy disputes, sanctions and competing visions of security only made matters worse.
International law has tried to respond. The International Court of Justice, in the case of Ukraine v. Russia, ordered Moscow to suspend military operations. Yet Russia ignored the order. This shows us that even when the world’s top court speaks, enforcement depends on politics.
Trump says he can end this war fast. History shows otherwise. The Treaty of Versailles after World War I, the Yalta Conference after World War II and the Dayton Accords after Bosnia were all products of long and painful negotiations. Peace is rarely instant.
Gaza and its long conflict
The Gaza war also has long roots. When Israel was created in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced. In 1967, Israel occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem after the Six Day War. The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 242 calling for withdrawal from occupied territories, but politics stood in the way.
Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but kept control of borders, airspace and sea access. In 2006, Hamas won elections and later took control of Gaza. This led to a blockade by Israel and Egypt, and repeated wars since then. Civilians have carried the heaviest burden.
International law again has been clear. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits targeting civilians. The International Criminal Court has opened investigations into possible war crimes in Palestine. Recently, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that prolonged occupation violates the Palestinian right to self determination. Yet, as in Ukraine, the law has not been enough to stop the fighting.
Trump’s promise to end the Gaza war in 24 hours ignores this complex history. Past peace attempts such as the Oslo Accords of the 1990s and the Camp David talks of 2000 took years and still collapsed. The United States also remains Israel’s closest ally, giving military aid and political support. Without a change in this posture, no quick peace is possible.
African lessons on peace
Africa knows war and peace all too well. These experiences show us that peace is always a process.
In Sudan, more than two decades of civil war ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. That deal came after years of mediation by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and support from the African Union and foreign partners. Even then, the peace was fragile and South Sudan later became independent in 2011 after further conflict.
Mozambique offers another lesson. Its civil war lasted from 1977 to 1992. Peace came through the Rome General Peace Accords. The talks were long, with many failures along the way and succeeded only with the help of church mediation and international guarantees. Even today, Mozambique faces pockets of violence that remind us peace is not permanent but must be maintained.
South Africa’s transition from apartheid is perhaps the most famous example. It took years of negotiation between the National Party and the African National Congress. There were setbacks, violence and deep mistrust. But through patience, compromise and the creation of a new Constitution guaranteeing rights for all, South Africa avoided civil war. It was not solved overnight.
These African case studies tell us something clear. Peace takes time, trusted mediators and compromise. No leader can walk into a conflict and demand that it ends tomorrow.
Can Trump deliver?
Both the Russia Ukraine and Gaza wars reveal the same truth. International law sets rules, but states often put their own interests above those rules. Courts give judgments, but enforcement is left to politics.
Trump believes his personal style of bargaining can break this pattern. But history warns us that peace is not a one man performance. The Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland shows what it takes. It involved years of talks, painful compromise, guarantees from London, Dublin and Washington, and above all, willingness of the local parties to give up violence.
The chances of Trump ending either war in a single day are very small. At best, he might push for a temporary ceasefire. But lasting peace will demand long negotiations, international guarantees and real political will.
In conclusion, wars are not only about soldiers and weapons. They are about treaties, court decisions, human rights and obligations under the law. Article 33 of the United Nations Charter calls for disputes to be settled by peaceful means. Yet powerful states often ignore this call. That gap between law and reality is what keeps wars alive.
This is why citizens must demand honesty. Peace cannot be promised like a campaign slogan. It must be built step by step, guided by history and law, and by the courage of leaders to choose compromise over endless destruction!
Sources
1. United Nations Charter, especially Article 2 on sovereignty and Article 33 on peaceful settlement of disputes.
2. United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 2014 rejecting the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
3. International Court of Justice case, Ukraine v. Russia, where provisional measures were issued in 2022 ordering Moscow to suspend military operations.
4. Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which protects civilians during war.
5. International Criminal Court investigations into alleged war crimes in Palestine.
6. International Court of Justice advisory opinion of 2024 on the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories.
7. Dayton Peace Agreement of 1995 that ended the Bosnian war.
8. The Oslo Accords of the 1990s and the failed Camp David talks of 2000 on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
9. Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 that ended the north-south war in Sudan.
10. Rome General Peace Accords of 1992 that ended the civil war in Mozambique.
11. South Africa’s constitutional negotiations of the early 1990s that led to the end of apartheid.
12. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that brought peace to Northern Ireland.
By Micah Mukhwana Namunyu
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