At a White House lunch with Zelensky, Trump says he “loves” solving wars and calls the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict “an easy one”; regional strikes and diplomacy follow.
US President Donald Trump told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a White House lunch that he “loves” solving wars and expressed confidence he could quickly help resolve the Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes, calling that dispute “an easy one” for his administration to handle. Trump framed his approach as stopping killings and claimed previous successes in reducing violence in other hotspots, while stressing diplomacy that delivers concrete results.
His comments came as Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan that killed multiple people and effectively broke a brief 48-hour truce—moves that raised tensions along the porous border and prompted Islamabad to send a high-level delegation to Qatar for talks with Afghan authorities. Islamabad says strikes targeted militant hideouts; Afghan officials warned of retaliation after casualties were reported. The developments have pushed regional players and international mediators to explore quick de-escalation steps.
Trump also claimed credit for earlier breakthroughs between rival countries and said he aims to use the same deal-making approach in Ukraine, calling the conflict a possible “ninth” he could help resolve. Observers note that Washington’s role as a broker would require buy-in from regional capitals and careful sequencing of ceasefire, withdrawal and counter-terrorism guarantees. Analysts warn the Pakistan-Afghanistan situation is complex—rooted in cross-border militant networks, fragile Afghan governance and strategic mistrust—so any US mediation would have to pair security assurances with diplomatic follow-through.
Political analysts say Trump’s public confidence aims both at a global audience and domestic voters, while diplomats caution that talk of quick fixes risks oversimplifying entrenched regional grievances. The coming days—Qatar talks, Afghan responses and Washington’s next diplomatic moves—will determine if the bold rhetoric translates into concrete de-escalation.
