"We want peace on Earth," said Donald Trump a few days before the November 5 presidential election. On the verge of returning to the White House on January 20, 2025, Trump faces two major areas of crisis: The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where Gaza continues to be occupied and bombarded by the Israeli army. While the migration issue promises to be the top priority at the start of the term, Trump and his advisers are simultaneously considering these two international crises, which have far more complex ramifications than the billionaire claimed on the campaign trail.

Trump seems to be approaching both questions practically: What is the most achievable potential success? Which conflict can be ended early in his presidency, to illustrate a change of era? "I think the Middle East is going to get solved. I think it's more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine, but I think it's, it’s, it’s easier to solve," the president-elect said in an interview with Time magazine at the end of November. While he promised to resolve the war in Ukraine within 24 hours during his campaign, Trump seems caught up in the reality of the conflict. In his meetings with European leaders, where for once he was listening, his ambition looks more like a freeze on the war than a major multilateral negotiation that would rewrite the terms of security in Europe.

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