In his inaugural address this January, Donald Trump declared that his proudest legacy would be that of “a peacemaker and unifier”, pledging that US power would “stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable”.
Five months later, his second presidency is witnessing the spectacular unraveling of that lofty aspiration.
A president who vowed to end global conflicts – including one which he said he would resolve within his first 24 hours – has instead presided over their escalation – most recently the spiraling conflict between Israel and Iran.
The timeline of the latest conflict resuggests a stark disconnect between Trump’s aspirations and reality: the wave of Israeli airstrikes came just hours afterTrump urged Israel not to attack Iran.
Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, took pains to describe the Israeli attack as “unilateral”, stressing that the US was “not involved in strikes against Iran” – only for Trump to then insist he had been well informed of Israel’s plans – and warn that further attacks would be “even more brutal”.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has emerged as Trump’s primary diplomatic negotiator in the Middle East and Ukraine, still reportedly plans to go to Oman this weekend for talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, but it appeared unlikely the Iranians would attend.
Trump’s muddled peace agenda was already disarray long before Thursday’s attacks.
The Gaza ceasefire his administration helped broker collapsed within weeks, with Israel resuming massive bombardments and imposing a three-month total blockade on humanitarian aid to the territory, where the death toll has now surpassed at least 55,000.
In Ukraine – a conflict Trump once bragged he would end on his first day back in office – Russian forces have pressed ahead with a summer offensive, entering the Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time in three years and accumulating more forces – evidence that Putin has no interest in Trump’s peace overtures and intends to expand the war further.
Meanwhile, Trump’s abrupt announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was met with fury in New Delhi, where officials denied his claims of brokering the deal.
And while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged to Congress that the Pentagon has developed contingency plans to seize Greenland and Panama militarily, it’s unclear how territorial conquest fits into Trump’s definition of peacemaking.
His first term ended no wars, nearly sparked conflict with Iran, and saw his signature “peace” achievement – the Abraham accords – normalize relations between Israel and countries that weren’t fighting it anyway.
Part of Trump’s appeal to voters was precisely a promise to avoid foreign entanglements. In the stands at the inauguration viewing party, supporters told the Guardian how they valued his restraint in military deployment and favored his America-first approach that prioritized domestic concerns over international aid and intervention. And there is a an argument that for Trump peace is not an absence of conflict but rather Washington’s distance from it.
There is one potentially optimistic interpretation for the latest strikes in Iran. Alex Vatanka, the Iran director from the Middle East Institute in Washington, suggested that Israel’s attack could be a calculated gamble to shock Iran into serious negotiations. The theory holds that Israel convinced Trump to allow limited strikes that would pressure Tehran without triggering regime change, essentially using military action to restart stalled diplomacy. On Friday Trump suggested that the strike on Iran might have even improved the chances of a nuclear agreement.
“This is not likely to bring Iran back to the negotiating table,” said Andrew Borene, executive director of global security at Flashpoint and a former staff officer at the US’s office of the director of national intelligence. “It marks the opening of yet another rapidly expanding flashpoint within the global context of a new hybrid cold war, one that will be fought both on the ground and in the darkest corners of the web.”
Whether this strategy succeeds depends entirely on Iran’s response. The regime could either return to negotiations chastened, or abandon diplomacy altogether and pursue nuclear weapons more aggressively. Early indicators suggest Tehran may not be in a conciliatory mood after having its facilities bombed and leaders killed.
But even if the more optimistic readings prove correct, it does not change the broader reality: every major conflict Trump inherited or promised to resolve has intensified on his watch.
Trump promised to be a peacemaker. Instead, he’s managing multiple wars while his diplomatic initiatives collapse in real time. From Gaza to Ukraine to Iran, the world appears more volatile and dangerous than when he took his oath five months ago.
Understanding what is happening in the Middle East is more important than ever.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/14/trump-gaza-ukraine-iran-israel
Number of personnel in the armed forces
Air Force and missile defense
Missile and drone arsenal
Intelligence and special forces
Conclusions.
In terms of military power, Iran wins in terms of numbers: soldiers, missiles, drones, and a large fleet. However, Israel has a qualitative advantage: modern fighter jets, missile defense, cyber infrastructure, nuclear capabilities, and innovative technologies. In the event of war, Iran has the resources for a long-term, large-scale campaign, but Israel may be able to deliver a decisive technological blow first, with US support and thanks to its dominance in critical areas.
The state-owned Ukrgasbank (Kyiv) has provided Lviv with a five-year loan of UAH 650.5 million for repairs to schools, hospitals, streets, and park improvements.
According to the bank’s website on Thursday, the loan will be used to renovate educational, healthcare, cultural, and urban infrastructure facilities.
According to Viktoria Dovzhik, director of the financial policy department of the Lviv City Council, they are consciously taking on long-term commitments for investment in the city.
As specified to Interfax-Ukraine, the loan will be issued for a term of five years, but other terms of the loan are not disclosed.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, in April 2025, Ukrgasbank ranked fifth (UAH 220.0 billion or 5.9%) among 60 banks operating in the country in terms of total assets.
As reported, in the first quarter of this year, Ukrgasbank issued two loans to Kryvyi Rih for a total amount of UAH 105.5 million for a term of seven years with a grace period of 12 months. The interest rate on the loan of UAH 87.6 million is 14.5% per annum in the first year and, from the second year, a variable UIRD 12M +3% with annual review, but not exceeding 23%. The second loan of UAH 17.9 million is issued at an interest rate of 16% per annum for the first year, which from the second year is UIRD 12M + 3.62% with annual review, but also not exceeding 23%. It was explained that 3.62% is 16% minus the current UIRD 12M at 12.38%.
Purchasing prices for pork remained relatively stable at the beginning of June, at 92-94 UAH/ton, according to the Ukrainian Pig Farmers Association (ASU) based on the results of its weekly monitoring of purchasing prices.
“The first summer trades ended with stable quotations for most operators or a slight correction of 0.5-1 UAH/kg for some market players. Therefore, prices for live pigs this week mostly fluctuated within the range of 92-94 UAH/kg, although there were both higher and lower offers. The latter, in particular, concern the sale of animals in poor condition,” the analysts explained.
According to their information, thanks to positive price changes in the east and south, where the shortage of live cattle is more acute, the average market price stood at 92.8 UAH/kg, which is 0.3% higher than a week earlier.
At the same time, experts noted that the green holidays passed almost unnoticed for the meat market. Therefore, meat processors do not expect a surge in consumer activity in the near future. Some of them hope that improved weather conditions and the approaching holiday season will revive trade and prevent refusals/returns at the final stage of sales.
At the same time, processors are preparing for increased pressure from seasonal factors on pork supply. Although the feedback and mood of processing companies currently vary, most tend to believe that purchase prices at upcoming auctions will remain unchanged, as consistently low sales are offset by a modest supply of live pigs, the industry association concluded.
The Poltava Oil Extraction Plant (POEZ) of the Kernel agricultural holding has officially switched to renewable energy sources certified by the international organization Bureau Veritas Group, the company’s press service reported on Facebook.
According to the report, the agricultural holding will fully supply POEZ with renewable energy from sunflower husks, thereby reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 11,000 tons per year. In addition, autonomous power generation will ensure continuity of production and reduce risks to food security.
“This is another step towards transforming Ukraine into a sustainable, energy-independent, and innovative country that knows how to turn agricultural resources into strategic advantages. Now our consumers can make an informed choice and contribute to the green recovery of the country’s economy by supporting a producer of certified sustainable oil,” Kernel emphasized.
It is specified that POEZ became the first company in Ukraine’s food sector to join the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In addition, it intends to support communities and supply surplus “green” energy to Ukraine’s power grid.
“This step is part of Kernel’s efforts to decarbonize and ensure climate resilience at every stage of our work: from the field to logistics,” the agricultural holding summarized.
The Poltava OEZ of the Kernel agricultural holding specializes in the production of sunflower oil under the Stozhar trademark. Previously, oil under this brand was produced in Vovchansk (Kharkiv region). With the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the work of the SEZ in Vovchansk was suspended and its capacities were transferred to the Poltava region. Before the war, the processing capacity of the Vovchansk SEZ was 330,000 tons of sunflower seeds per year. In turn, the Poltava SEZ is designed to process up to 430,000 tons of sunflower seeds per year and produces unrefined, refined, and hydrated vegetable oil, as well as meal.
Before the war, the Kernel agricultural holding company ranked first in the world in the production of sunflower oil (about 7% of world production) and its export (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. In addition, it is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
In the first nine months of 2025, Kernel increased its net profit by 7% to $218 million, with revenue growing by 19% to $3.092 billion and EBITDA increasing by 4% to $398 million.
On June 12, PJSC Khmelnytskoenergo announced a tender for compulsory motor third-party liability insurance for owners of land vehicles, according to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system.
The expected cost of the services is UAH 4.209 million. Documents for participation in the tender will be accepted until June 20. The winner of a similar tender a year ago was Guardian Insurance Company.
