The second Donald Trump administration is known for its transactional diplomacy. With a combination of “America First" and “Peace through trade" policy approaches, Trump has actively transformed the American network of security guarantees into an overtly transactional system of resource and/or market access in exchange for security commitments.

But this transactional approach has also extended into the realm of conflict mediation, where the Trump administration is using peace efforts as an opportunity not only to gain mineral or market access, but also to secure deals for private organisations associated with Trump or his allies. This transactional approach to the sensitive mediation process fails to keep its outcomes sustainable and threatens to endanger international security in the long term.

Trump’s record in maintaining international peace and security in 2025 might seem like a mixed bag on the surface. His mediation attempts in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts were unsuccessful, as both Russia and Israel regularly violated negotiated ceasefires. His primary success came in mediating a peace deal between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Besides that, there have been unilateral claims by Trump of having mediated the India-Pakistan confrontation in May and the Cambodia-Thailand confrontation in July, despite being openly denied by the parties involved.

Each of these attempts at peace is distinct and varies in its context. However, one common element in these cases is the “Peace through trade" approach, where the US attempts to mediate or claim diplomatic influence in exchange for trade promises or direct economic deals—or by pitching........

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