Blessed are the peacemakers

Many have wondered, what are all these wars the president claims to have settled? He boasts about them constantly in his quest for a Nobel Peace Prize.

His contribution to the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza was to pressure Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to pull back Israeli troops. The last 18 hostages were freed, bodies of the deceased were released and food aid was finally allowed to flow into Gaza.

Regrettably, the ceasefire in Gaza means Israel is still mostly in control, the infrastructure is totally destroyed and Palestinians are still suffering in miserable conditions.

Other peacemaking results claimed by Trump are questionable as he continues to promote himself for next year’s Nobel. He claims he brought about settlements in longstanding conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand; Serbia and Kosovo; Egypt and Ethiopia; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India and Pakistan in their 45-year dispute over Kashmir.

There’s little evidence he actually settled those long-running conflicts, and apparently, he wasn’t awarded any medals, trophies or public recognition.

The president needs to concentrate on Ukraine. Instead of seeking glory for himself, he should be relentlessly seeking to end that 4-year war. Russia invaded Ukraine, and has no right to demand concessions. Negotiating with Putin is pretty much useless as he never concedes anything and the president never demands anything of him.

Trump says Ukraine and Russia should just end their war today - with each country keeping the land wherever their armed forces are in control. That would allow Russia to keep Ukrainian territory captured during their unlawful invasion - which would be grossly unfair to Ukraine.

A recent proposal offered to Ukraine by Trump’s negotiators, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, was ridiculously slanted towards Russia. In fact, the entire thing looked like it had been written by Putin, himself.

Success might have a better chance if the negotiators for the U.S. were experienced diplomats instead of businessmen deeply involved in making lucrative financial deals in Russia and the Middle East for themselves.

Zelensky will not agree to Russia keeping territory captured during the war, nor to Putin’s demands that Ukraine stays out of NATO forever. Ukraine will need NATO protection because Russia cannot be trusted to never invade again.

Trump frequently blames Ukraine for the war, saying they are at fault for “letting Russia invade them.” Zelensky did not “let” Russia invade his country; Putin’s massive army crossed Ukraine’s borders and attacked. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are dead because of Putin. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped from their parents and sent to Russia.

Ukraine’s infrastructure has been destroyed and will take decades and billions of dollars to rebuild.

The only way to end the war is to supply Ukraine with the tactical weapons they need to defeat Russia, and also to impose real economic sanctions on Putin. NATO allies should give Russia’s $300 billion in frozen assets they control directly to Ukraine.

While Europe’s NATO allies have been fully committed to Ukraine, the U.S. has sometimes not been doing its part. President Biden strongly supported Ukraine, but he was too cautious and did not provide powerful weaponry on a timely basis. U.S. timidity limited Ukraine’s response from the start.

Trump gives every indication he could care less if Ukraine falls to Russia. He publicly criticizes Zelensky, but never Putin. Congress has been shamefully inconsistent in its support, withholding money and weapons at critical times during the war.

Trump promises tough sanctions on Russia but consistently fails to follow through. He once promised Tomahawk warplanes to Ukraine. A week later, after a 2.5 hour telephone conversation with Putin, he backtracked and resumed blaming Zelensky for not settling. It appears he just wants this war to end - no matter the consequences.

Some think he’s being hoodwinked by Putin, while others think he supports the Russian president for personal and economic reasons. Unfortunately, his deference to Russia sends a troubling message to the world about America’s loyalties and commitment to the sovereignty of nations.

We’ve always heard, “Blessed are the peacemakers” for there’s no greater service, but peacemakers need qualities that build bridges between adversaries, not chasms. Peacemakers must have patience, integrity and most of all, no ulterior motive for personal gain.

The intentions of a peacemaker certainly cannot be to win a Nobel Peace Prize.