President Volodymyr Zelensky is skillfully placing a “burden of success” on US President Donald Trump, challenging him to prove that the historic Gaza peace deal was not a one-time fluke but the result of a replicable formula for peacemaking.
Every time Zelensky praises Trump’s “outstanding achievement,” he implicitly raises the stakes for the US administration. The message is: you have shown the world you can do this. Now, the world is watching to see if you can do it again.
His statement, “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well,” is the linchpin of this strategy. It transforms the Gaza success from a standalone victory into a precedent that creates an expectation of future action.
This puts the White House in a fascinating position. Having accepted the accolades for one peace deal, it becomes more politically difficult to refuse engagement in the next major conflict, especially when being so publicly and positively invited to do so.
Zelensky is not just asking for help; he is appealing to a legacy. He is challenging the United States to cement its status as a global peacemaker by demonstrating that its successful methods can be applied to Europe’s most dangerous conflict. The burden of proof, he suggests, now rests with Washington.