President Trump, in his speech at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit, shifted America’s stance from a global enforcer to a peacemaker. He pledged to bring an end to the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, vowing to leverage America’s unmatched military prowess – not for war, but to secure peace. “Nobody knows how to fight better than the USA,” he declared, “but now, we will lead the world toward stability, not destruction.” With this powerful statement, President Trump redefined America’s role on the world stage – not just as an economic powerhouse, but as the ultimate force for peace and progress. For decades, the United States has been portrayed as a nation that fuels wars and conflicts, profiting from endless cycles of destruction by supplying weapons to both sides while ensuring that conflicts never truly subside. The global perception of America as a war machine – bullying nations, destabilizing regions, and keeping arms sales perpetual – has been deeply ingrained. However, President Trump has taken an entirely opposite stand, declaring that his greatest legacy will be that of a peacemaker, not a warmonger. By making this bold proclamation, he has shattered the long-standing image of the U.S. as an aggressor and repositioned it as a nation committed to peace and stability. His approach signifies a monumental shift in American foreign policy – one that prioritizes diplomacy over dominance, negotiations over military interventions, and peace over perpetual war. With this stance, Trump has begun rewriting America’s role on the world stage, transforming it from a force of coercion into a beacon of peace and cooperation. For decades, the United States has been portrayed as a nation that fuels wars and conflicts, profiting from endless cycles of destruction by supplying weapons to both sides while ensuring that conflicts never truly subside. President Trump laid out a clear roadmap to end both the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict and denuclearize the globe by emphasizing diplomatic negotiations, strong leadership, and economic incentives as the key to achieving lasting peace. The selection of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, to lead peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as well as to initiate discussions with parties in the Middle East, has surprised many. It was not India, not China, nor any European country or the United Nations, but Saudi Arabia – led by the dynamic Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (affectionately known as MBS) – that was entrusted with this critical role. The role assigned to Saudi Arabia is also arguably the most suitable one. Due to the acumen of Saudi leadership, all stakeholders in the conflict have a high level of trust and confidence in the Kingdom, as it is seen as a neutral, non-controversial, and fair mediator. This stands in contrast to other global powers, many of whom are perceived as biased or having vested interests in the conflicts – factors that jeopardize both regional and international peace. In pursuit of peace, his speech emphasized the unimaginable destructive power of nuclear weapons, urging serious negotiations with President Putin of Russia and President Xi of China to curb nuclear proliferation before it spirals out of control. Trump underscored his philosophy of “peace through strength,” arguing that without military strength, peace remains unattainable. However, he made it clear that nuclear weapons are a force so powerful that their use would mean the end of civilization. He referenced the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, warning that today’s nuclear weapons are 500 times more powerful than those that obliterated the two Japanese cities. In his speech, Trump revealed that he had engaged in serious discussions with both Putin and Xi on denuclearization, recognizing that while the U.S. and Russia currently possess the largest nuclear arsenals, China is rapidly closing the gap and will reach parity within a few years. He emphasized that these three superpowers hold the key to preventing a nuclear apocalypse and that negotiations must extend beyond just the U.S. and Russia to include China and other nuclear-armed nations. Trump described his direct talks with Putin as “very successful” and highlighted his discussions with Xi, signaling that China was open to negotiations. He emphasized that the world must come together to prevent new nations from acquiring nuclear weapons – not just Iran, which is often at the center of nuclear concerns, but other emerging nuclear powers as well. The urgency of Trump’s message was clear: if nuclear war occurs, the world as we know it will disintegrate. His words reflected a deep understanding of the devastating consequences of uncontrolled nuclear proliferation. He positioned himself as a leader who recognizes the dire necessity of preventing nuclear war – not through weakness, but through diplomacy backed by strength. By taking bold steps to initiate serious negotiations with both Russia and China, Trump reaffirmed that denuclearization is not just a political strategy, but a moral imperative to save humanity from a future of unimaginable destruction. His approach marks a shift in global power dynamics, where instead of escalating arms races, leaders must engage in dialogue to prevent the ultimate catastrophe – nuclear annihilation. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that his party believes in common sense. Surprisingly, he is now taking steps that had long seemed unimaginable to many nations – steps that challenge the conventional, often destructive, approaches of global powers. For decades, nation after nation has abandoned the path of common sense, indulging in wars and conflicts that have wreaked havoc on humanity, bringing untold misery to the vanquished. Despite knowing that wars are inherently destructive and bring no real benefit to humanity, even in this age of advanced knowledge, intense diplomacy, technological innovation, and supposed political maturity, nations have continued to subject hundreds of thousands of innocent people to suffering in the name of their convictions, ideologies, and misguided geopolitical ambitions. Instead of prioritizing diplomacy and peace, wars have been fueled by religious extremism, ethnic divisions, and racial animosities, pushing common sense to the back seat and leaving the world reeling under the weight of irrationality and destruction. Now, President Trump is reversing this trend – steering the world away from senseless conflict and back toward common sense with full force. His approach aims to restore fairness, logic, and practical diplomacy as the foundation for global peace. If successful, this shift could lead the world to embrace a renewed commitment to reason, cooperation, and shared prosperity – ushering in an era of stability, development, and growth across the board. The writer is a former press secretary to the president; former press minister to the Embassy of Pakistan to France and former MD (SRBC).