Fresh from brokering a landmark cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump is now reportedly setting his sights on another global conflict — the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump is expected to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday, according to officials familiar with the plans. The meeting follows what many in Washington and abroad have described as a major foreign-policy triumph in Gaza — the release of hostages and an end to the fighting after months of bloodshed.
At stops in Israel and Egypt during his Middle East tour, Trump drew a direct line between his diplomatic success there and his ambitions in Eastern Europe. “Putin can be forced into peace—just like any other terrorist,” Zelensky claimed this week, invoking Trump’s achievement in pressuring Hamas to negotiate. “Even Hamas is now preparing to release hostages. If that is possible, then Putin can also be forced to restore peace.”
While the two conflicts are very different, analysts and allies say Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has given him new leverage on the global stage. “This gives Trump enormous leverage to solve other major conflicts,” said Fred Fleitz, a former senior National Security Council official. “He’s now proven himself as an effective arbiter and peacemaker.”
Trump’s formula for peace in Gaza rested on relentless pressure. After Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Trump reportedly pushed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adopt his 20-point peace plan and issue a public apology to Qatar’s ruler.
In parallel, regional players — Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey — threatened to cut off Hamas diplomatically unless it agreed to talks. The approach combined military strength with diplomatic muscle, leading to the release of hostages and the start of humanitarian aid deliveries.
For Ukraine, the lesson appears clear. “It was pressure that caused Hamas to come to the negotiating table, and we have not had similar pressure on Russia yet,” said Kurt Volker, Trump’s former envoy to NATO.
So far, Trump has relied on economic tools to weaken Moscow. He has imposed steep tariffs on India, one of Russia’s key trade partners, but has stopped short of broad secondary sanctions. The White House says Putin has “repeatedly rejected generous proposals toward peace that would have benefited Russia,” yet Trump’s patience appears to be thinning.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to the Middle East, Trump hinted that he could escalate. “I might talk to him,” he said of Putin. “I might say, look, if this war is not settled I’m going to send them Tomahawks.”
Trump has not ruled out providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which could reach deep into Russian territory. His administration has already granted Kyiv expanded intelligence for targeting energy infrastructure — a sign that Washington may be prepared to test Moscow’s resolve.
Still, Trump faces limits. “The fact that Russia has a nuclear arsenal will always be a factor in any pressure campaign,” said Franz-Stefan Gady, a Vienna-based defense analyst. “The United States has not really shown any desire to trigger any escalatory dynamics.”
A cease-fire, rather than a comprehensive peace agreement, may be Trump’s most immediate goal. But his track record — favoring direct, personal diplomacy and swift results — has European leaders wary that he might pressure Zelensky into a deal short of Ukraine’s terms.
Complicating matters is China, now Moscow’s primary economic lifeline. While Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that a meeting with President Xi Jinping could still take place this month. “Lines of communication have reopened,” Bessent said.
For Trump, the task ahead is clear: to turn his Gaza breakthrough into a blueprint for peace in Europe. Whether he can replicate that success against a nuclear-armed adversary will be his next great test — one that could define not just his presidency, but America’s role in an increasingly unstable world.
[READ MORE: Trump Declares “Golden Age” for Middle East After Hostage Release]
