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Donald J. Trump:
“Well, this isn’t your usual roundtable—and I’ll tell you right now, it’s not about winning an argument or grabbing headlines. We’ve had enough of that. What we need now is something much harder and much more important: a peace that lasts.
I’ve been blessed to work on some very tough situations—Middle East, Africa, and yes, a few surprises. And I’ve learned something the hard way: peace isn’t just about shaking hands in front of cameras. It’s about getting people who don’t trust each other to sit down, talk straight, and walk away with a deal they can live with—and be proud of.
Now listen, this isn’t about me. This is about the people who wake up every morning not knowing if their home will still be standing by nightfall. It’s about kids in bomb shelters and grandmothers with empty pantries. It’s about millions who just want the same thing you and I want: safety, dignity, and a future.
That’s why I’m here. And that’s why I’m honored to be here with real peacebuilders—folks who’ve earned their place at this table through sacrifice, wisdom, and guts. We’ve got Nobel laureates. We’ve got freedom fighters. We’ve got diplomats who know how to get things done without firing a shot. And yes, we’ve got yours truly—still learning, still listening, and very serious about making peace the best deal of all.
So let’s not waste time. Let’s ask the hard questions. Let’s find the real answers. And let’s prove to the world that when strong voices come together—not to shout, but to solve—we can do something extraordinary.”
(Note: This is an imaginary conversation, a creative exploration of an idea, and not a real speech or event.)
Topic 1: From War to Durable Peace — What Stops the Guns and Keeps Them Silent?
Moderator: Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Representative
Participants:
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
William Ury (Harvard negotiation strategist, co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Project)
Miroslav Lajčák (EU Special Representative, Balkan peace veteran)
Zelma Kiss (Ukraine–Russia conflict mediator, OSCE experience)
Mohamed ElBaradei (Nobel Peace laureate, former Director General of IAEA)
Scene:
Inside a quiet Geneva strategy room. The long oval table is lined with worn notepads and cooling tea. A digital screen displays a ceasefire countdown: Day 0 – Draft in Progress. The task is clear: not just to stop the war—but to make it stay stopped.
Question 1:
“We’ve seen ceasefires before—but they don’t last. What’s the one structural element we must include this time that prevents both sides from picking up arms again in six months?”
William Ury
“A ceasefire isn’t peace—it’s a pause. What works is mutual monitoring with skin in the game. Both Ukraine and Russia should nominate trusted locals and external observers to enforce agreed lines—not just diplomats, but farmers, clergy, ex-soldiers. If the people enforcing peace live in the region, they’ll protect it.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“You need enforcement with teeth, folks. No peace lasts without a real cost to breaking it. In our administration, we’re proposing a Peace Enforcement Coalition—neutral countries like India or Türkiye—with pre-approved authority to apply fast sanctions or pressure if the deal is broken. It’s not enough to sign something—you need a button you can push when someone cheats. That’s how we’ve done it before, and that’s how we’ll help make it work again.”
Zelma Kiss
“Most previous failures came from asymmetrical expectations. We need a phased guarantee model—milestones with rewards. For every step of withdrawal or disarmament, there's an economic or political gain. Break it? You lose the next phase. Peace becomes a path, not a finish line.”
Miroslav Lajčák
“We made peace in the Balkans by building confidence-building calendars—small, verifiable daily actions. One day it’s demining. The next, restoring water to a cross-border village. These micro-commitments create psychological momentum toward trust.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“What’s missing is legal muscle. A peace treaty must be backed by an independent arbitration body whose rulings are binding. No more ‘we interpret it differently’ games. If we treat peace like law, not just politics, it starts to hold.”
Question 2:
“Let’s say the guns go silent. What guarantees can we give both Ukraine and Russia so neither side fears betrayal in the months that follow?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Look, Putin wants security, Zelenskyy wants protection. Fine. You build a Mutual Security Guarantee, co-signed by neutral countries. If Russia crosses a line, three non-NATO countries respond immediately. If Ukraine breaks terms, same thing. Balanced consequences. It has to feel fair, or it fails. And let me be clear—this administration will support the enforcement mechanisms needed to make that fairness real.”
Zelma Kiss
“Guarantees must be layered and local. For example, allow community defense patrols to be trained by both Ukrainian and neutral forces, while Russian-speaking locals can report violations without fear. Real safety comes from familiarity—not just treaties.”
William Ury
“Security is about visibility. Create real-time transparency platforms—daily verified maps, troop movement logs, humanitarian aid trackers—all available publicly. If you can see what’s happening, you don’t have to guess someone’s intentions.”
Miroslav Lajčák
“Guarantees should be custom-fit per region. What works in Kherson won’t work in Donetsk. We need flexible models: one region may need autonomy, another just de-militarization. Stop thinking one treaty fits all.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Include a clause for citizen witness panels. Every quarter, 20 civilians from both sides assess the deal’s impact on the ground—publicly. When peace is evaluated by those who suffer most, it gains legitimacy that governments alone can’t provide.”
Question 3:
“Peace won’t last if it doesn’t feel like peace to the people. How do we make sure civilians—from Mariupol to Belgorod—feel safe enough to stop preparing for the next war?”
Miroslav Lajčák
“Reopen civic life fast. Schools, water, markets—these come before big speeches. If people can buy bread and sleep at night, they start believing in tomorrow. That’s how peace becomes real.”
William Ury
“Start with local dialogues. Bring together teachers, medics, elders from both sides to hold town meetings. Let them shape how the peace is lived in their town—not dictated from Geneva.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“I’d launch what we’re calling a Peace Dividend Campaign. We’re talking $10 billion in fast-track rebuilding—hospitals, roads, schools—but with signs everywhere: ‘This road is your peace at work.’ You want people to believe in peace? Show them where the money goes. Visible success builds support—and that’s something this administration understands very well.”
Zelma Kiss
“We also need to give trauma a voice. Mental health centers, survivor forums, family tracing services. If people carry war in their bodies, no border agreement will ever feel safe.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Protect freedom of movement. Let civilians travel between former frontlines without harassment. Let families reunite. Peace becomes real when you can cross a road that used to be a battlefield and no one stops you.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep (Moderator, closing)
“You’ve all offered pieces of something rare: peace that is built, not declared. If we combine structure, accountability, visibility, and human care—we might just get there. The war may end on paper, but peace must be written in people’s lives.”
Topic 2: Respect Without Concession — How to Preserve National Pride and Still Make Peace
Moderator: Angela Merkel (Former Chancellor of Germany, respected by both East and West)
Participants:
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
Juan Manuel Santos (Former Colombian President, Nobel Peace Laureate)
Ernesto Zedillo (Former Mexican President, economist and post-crisis expert)
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Belarusian democratic leader, advocate for national dignity)
Mohamed ElBaradei (Former IAEA head, diplomacy and legal framework strategist)
Scene:
A quiet marble chamber in Vienna, where historic neutrality hangs in the air. No press. No speeches. Just one mission: how to help two nations—Ukraine and Russia—end war without either feeling they’ve surrendered their soul.
Question 1
“What kind of peace deal can we craft that lets both sides go home with pride—not shame? How do we honor national identity without justifying aggression?”
Angela Merkel (moderator)
“We all know: shame poisons peace. So what does dignity look like—on both sides?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“People don’t fight just for land—they fight for honor. In our administration, we’ve seen that the best peace deals give each side something to celebrate. For Ukraine, that means sovereignty, security, rebuilding. For Russia, it’s being respected, not punished. You don’t make peace by humiliating your enemy—you make it by giving them a reason to shake your hand in public and say, ‘We made a strong deal.’ That’s how you build peace that lasts.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Pride doesn’t mean propaganda. It means being seen and heard. Let Ukrainian identity flourish—not just in Kyiv, but in Donetsk too. Let Russian-speaking communities be safe without being pawns. Dignity comes from choice, not fear.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“In Colombia, we learned to separate personal forgiveness from institutional compromise. Neither side got everything. But both kept their narrative: ‘We did not surrender—we chose the future.’ Frame peace as power.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“We must depoliticize pride. Let the deal focus on human security, education, and rebuilding—areas that touch lives, not slogans. Give space for cultural pride without letting it fuel military action.”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Acknowledge the pain—on both sides. A peace process that begins with mutual recognition of losses helps soften ego without undermining sovereignty. The deeper the pain is named, the less it has to be defended.”
Question 2
“Putin needs to save face. Zelenskyy needs to preserve sovereignty. What are the most realistic diplomatic strategies that achieve both without betraying justice or stability?”
Angela Merkel (moderator)
“Let’s be clear: Both leaders need to win something in the eyes of their people. How do we structure that?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Give them both symbolic victories, and let’s make those symbols work for peace. Ukraine should lead its own defense future—not necessarily inside NATO, but with ironclad, enforceable security guarantees, and we’re helping shape that. Let Russia get a seat on a regional security council or a role in Eastern rebuilding that shows they’re not outcasts. You’ve got to sell peace like a product—you need headlines both sides can go home and be proud of. That’s what I’ve done before. That’s what we’re doing now.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“Use time as a tool. A phased deal allows each side to showcase progress without admitting defeat. Russia suspends claims—Ukraine commits to non-aggression—both steps happen gradually, with outside monitoring.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Build parallel messaging campaigns. Each country gets to narrate peace in their own voice. You can’t expect Russians and Ukrainians to tell the same story—but you can help them reach the same ending.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Create a neutral peace brand. A regional or international platform that both sides can point to: ‘We joined this plan, not surrendered to each other.’ Give them a third flag to salute.”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Use regional economic integration to anchor dignity in productivity. If both countries gain from trade corridors, energy markets, and reconstruction contracts, peace becomes politically self-reinforcing. Pride in prosperity is a powerful stabilizer.”
Question 3
“Even after the deal is signed, people will feel betrayed. Some will say their leaders gave up too much. How do we protect both presidents from internal backlash—without compromising the peace?”
Angela Merkel (moderator)
“I’ve seen peace killed from within before. How do we protect these agreements politically?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Make it a people’s peace, not just a president’s. We’re already preparing joint summits with students, veterans, mothers—let real people bless the deal. You want this to survive election cycles? You put it in the hearts of citizens, not just the headlines. That’s how we keep peace strong—not just signed.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Train peace communicators, not just negotiators. Teachers, influencers, clergy. Give them the language and tools to explain why peace is strength, not weakness. Silence will be filled by anger unless hope speaks first.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“Create peace dividends that arrive quickly. Jobs. Schools. Roads. If people feel peace in their wallets and on their streets, they defend it—even when the headlines turn.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Embed accountability frameworks. Let civil society monitor compliance. When people see transparency, they stop imagining betrayal.”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Invest in shared memory. Build museums, digital archives, and reconciliation projects that honor suffering without weaponizing it. If both sides remember the war with grief—not blame—we reduce the fuel for the next fire.”
Angela Merkel (closing remarks)
“We’ve seen what humiliation does to nations. It births silence—or war. What you’ve shown today is the courage to speak plainly about pride. And to reshape it—not as a shield, but as a shared story of survival. If we preserve dignity, we preserve peace.”
Topic 3: Rebuilding as Redemption — How the Economy Becomes the Bridge
Moderator: Christine Lagarde (President of the European Central Bank, expert in global economic stability)
Participants:
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
Ernesto Zedillo (Former President of Mexico, post-crisis economic recovery leader)
Juan Manuel Santos (Former President of Colombia, peace-through-prosperity pioneer)
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Representative (Expert in post-conflict institutional rebuilding)
Mohamed ElBaradei (Diplomatic statesman, advocate for rule-of-law frameworks in international engagement)
Scene:
A sleek modern roundtable in Brussels. On the screen behind them: a split image—on one side, Mariupol in ruins; on the other, a digital render of the same city reborn with green roofs, tech corridors, and schools. The question on the table: How do we make that future real?
Question 1
“War destroys economies, but rebuilding isn’t just about aid. How can we make peace profitable enough that both Ukraine and Russia stay invested in it?”
Christine Lagarde (moderator)
“What does economic peace look like—not as charity, but as opportunity?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“You want peace to stick? Make people rich off peace. That’s the truth. In this administration, we’re pushing for a Ukraine-Russia Reconstruction Initiative—major infrastructure projects co-funded by global partners, but with hiring quotas for both nations’ workers. When people build schools together, they stop blowing them up. That’s how you turn stability into something everyone wants to protect.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“In Colombia, we tied peace to regional development corridors—places where conflict once burned were the first to receive roads, jobs, and markets. Peace isn’t just a moral good. It’s an economic stimulant—but only if it includes the people who were once enemies.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Create joint development zones—special regions where taxes, regulation, and trade rules are harmonized across borders. These zones attract investment while encouraging shared stewardship.”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Build in economic interdependence. If Ukraine exports power to Russia and Russia supplies manufacturing to Ukraine, then peace becomes profitable—and war becomes a bankruptcy risk. Link their fates.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“We must legalize cooperation. Enshrine shared economic goals in treaties with enforcement clauses. When infrastructure and trade are protected by law, they gain resilience—and symbolic weight.”
Question 2
“How do we ensure the money is used transparently, without becoming another source of corruption or inequality?”
Christine Lagarde (moderator)
“What systems can we put in place to make sure peacebuilding funds don’t feed new resentment?”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Set up a Peace Reconstruction Authority—independent, publicly audited, with cross-national oversight. It’s not just about accounting. It’s about confidence. Corruption breaks peace faster than bullets.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Transparency sells. We’ve done it before, and we’re doing it again. I’d roll out live project trackers—real-time dashboards that show where every dollar goes. Add naming rights: this hospital rebuilt by South Korea, this school by ExxonMobil. It makes donors proud and locals informed. And when people see results, they support peace.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Use citizen budget councils. Let locals vote on priorities: roads or clinics, energy or housing. When people see that their voice shapes spending, they’re less likely to sabotage the outcome.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“Embed anticorruption courts within the peace process. Make accountability part of peace—not a separate reform. If those who steal from recovery funds are tried publicly, the signal is loud: peace is not for sale.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Tap AI-backed procurement systems. We now have tools that flag irregular contracts before they’re signed. Let peace be digitally clean, not just politically clean.”
Question 3
“People can rebuild walls and roads—but how do we use the economy to rebuild trust?”
Christine Lagarde (moderator)
“How can commerce and livelihood become bridges—not just transactions?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Build cross-national companies that employ both Russians and Ukrainians. We’re backing a concept called the Peace Park Tech Zone—where the only thing that matters is what you build, not what language you speak. If you’re coding side by side, you’re not shooting. That’s the kind of peace we want to see flourish.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Offer microgrants to joint ventures. A bakery run by a Ukrainian widow and a Russian refugee says more than any treaty. Business becomes the stage where forgiveness plays out.”
Ernesto Zedillo
“Link peace rewards to local hiring. If reconstruction bonuses go to regions that reduce violence and increase intergroup hiring, then business reinforces healing.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“Use public-private storytelling. Feature businesses in documentaries, ads, and media that highlight unity. Let the economy be not just practical—but narrative. Peace needs branding.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Host reconciliation trade expos—jointly organized, culturally balanced. If people trade together in the same building, eat from the same stalls, and shake hands over contracts, memory shifts. It moves from grievance to coexistence.”
Christine Lagarde (closing remarks)
“Peace is often defined by what’s stopped. But today you’ve defined it by what starts: businesses, trust, opportunity. You’ve reminded us that in the hands of the wise, a contract can be stronger than a ceasefire—and a job more enduring than a flag.”
Topic 4: Justice Without Collapse — How to Hold War Crimes Accountable Without Destroying Peace
Moderator: Louise Arbour (Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, former chief prosecutor for Yugoslavia and Rwanda)
Participants:
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States, known for deal-based conflict resolution)
Juan Manuel Santos (Former Colombian President, pioneer of transitional justice)
Leymah Gbowee (Liberian peacebuilder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate)
Fawzia Koofi (Afghan peace negotiator, women’s rights advocate)
Mohamed ElBaradei (Legal scholar, former head of IAEA)
Scene:
A quiet room in The Hague. The participants sit in a circular layout beneath a skylight, with war testimonies projected faintly on the walls around them—images of bombed hospitals, grieving parents, and abandoned towns. The air is heavy, but the mood is focused. Everyone here knows: there can be no lasting peace without addressing the pain of the past.
Question 1
“Justice is necessary—but too much, too fast, can kill the fragile peace. So how do we hold people accountable without collapsing the entire peace process?”
Louise Arbour (moderator)
“Let’s begin here: What kind of justice doesn’t sabotage peace—but supports it?”
Juan Manuel Santos
“In Colombia, we created a tiered system: high-level commanders faced tribunals, while foot soldiers could earn reduced sentences through confession and reparations. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed that truth and accountability don’t have to be all or nothing.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“You want justice to work? Start with structure, not emotions. In my administration, we look at this the same way we look at peace: strategically. Go after systems, not symbols. Don’t start with one leader if it turns him into a martyr. Focus on protecting civilians going forward. Justice isn’t just about punishing the past—it’s about building a future where people aren’t afraid.”
Fawzia Koofi
“Justice must be culturally grounded. In Afghanistan, formal trials meant little unless communities were engaged. We must pair legal justice with local healing circles, survivor storytelling, and public recognition of wrongs. Without that, it becomes cold and distant.”
Leymah Gbowee
“We must understand that justice isn’t about revenge—it’s about restoring balance. Let women and children who survived violence help shape the process. When victims become designers of justice, it becomes sacred—not political.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Embed trigger clauses. Only when key peace milestones are met do broader prosecutions proceed. This creates incentives for compliance, while ensuring crimes are not forgotten. Justice must be timed and calibrated, not erased.”
Question 2
“What do we do with people who committed war crimes—but now hold political or military power? Ignore them and lose peace, or prosecute and risk backlash?”
Louise Arbour (moderator)
“This is the core dilemma of post-war peace: What do we do with the powerful hands that also committed harm?”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“You don’t start by arresting them—you start by neutralizing their power. Strip the levers. Remove them from command. Freeze their assets. Restrict their international movement. Let them fade out before you bring them in. If you go head-on too fast, you don’t get justice—you get backlash and chaos. And that’s not what we’re about in this administration. We want stability and reform—at the same time.”
Leymah Gbowee
“We faced this in Liberia. Some perpetrators joined disarmament programs and became protectors of peace. That’s not forgiveness—it’s design. Reintegrate with conditions. Make them accountable in ways that support the community.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“We need political disqualification laws—non-criminal, but clear. If you oversaw crimes, you may not hold office again. It’s a legal firewall that stops recurrence without destabilizing the present.”
Fawzia Koofi
“Even those in power must face public reckoning. Let them testify in truth commissions. Let them apologize on national television. Let them name names. It won’t undo the past—but it opens a new one.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“We offered conditional legitimacy: accept the peace framework, acknowledge responsibility, and step aside gradually. It worked because it was strategic dignity—they exited without taking the country down with them.”
Question 3
“What do we say to the victims—those who lost everything—if their perpetrators aren’t punished the way they expect?”
Louise Arbour (moderator)
“This may be the most difficult piece of all: What do we say to those who buried their children, if justice isn’t full or immediate?”
Leymah Gbowee
“We say: Your story matters. Then we prove it. Build memorials, hold national listening days, create trauma healing programs. Justice isn’t only a courtroom. It’s being seen.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Give victims control over peace’s legacy. Let them name schools, lead commissions, run rebuilding projects. I’ve always said: power heals when it’s shared. If you can’t give every conviction, give real power to the people who suffered most. That’s justice too. And that’s something we’re actively supporting.”
Juan Manuel Santos
“We created reparation programs—not just money, but land, homes, education. When victims gain access to a better future, justice becomes practical—not just symbolic.”
Fawzia Koofi
“Let victims lead truth commissions. Let them interview perpetrators, ask their own questions, and shape the record. Give voice to the wound. That voice alone can prevent the next war.”
Mohamed ElBaradei
“Justice is not a moment. It is a memory you shape with integrity, consistency, and humility. We must carry that memory forward—not just in law, but in how we live together.”
Louise Arbour (closing remarks)
“Justice cannot always satisfy grief. But it can protect the future, preserve truth, and prevent silence from becoming complicity. What you’ve given today is a map—not of punishment, but of restoration. And through that, peace may finally hold.”
Topic 5: Stopping the Next War — How to Heal Minds, Not Just Maps
Moderator: Gro Harlem Brundtland (Former Prime Minister of Norway, physician, WHO leader, and advocate for long-term peace through public health and education)
Participants:
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States, known for infrastructure-centered peace messaging)
Leymah Gbowee (Liberian peace activist, community healer)
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (Belarusian democratic leader, cultural bridge builder)
Fawzia Koofi (Afghan women’s rights advocate and negotiator)
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Representative (Expert in civic reintegration and youth-led reconciliation)
Scene:
A large school auditorium in Warsaw, filled not with an audience—but with echoes of what’s at stake. The panel sits in a semicircle on the stage. On the projection behind them: images of Ukrainian and Russian schoolchildren—some drawing peace signs, others sheltering underground. This conversation isn’t for diplomats. It’s for the generation who didn’t choose this war but will live with its memory.
Question 1
“Even when peace is signed, the next generation will remember what their parents suffered. How do we stop inherited hatred from becoming the next war’s fuel?”
Gro Harlem Brundtland (moderator)
“Let’s begin with the children. How do we raise a generation that doesn’t carry the war inside them?”
Leymah Gbowee
“Let children grieve safely and honestly. Don’t sanitize the war. Let them speak. Let them draw. Let them question. When silence fills their minds, it turns into rage. When truth fills it, it becomes wisdom.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Teach them with results. Rebuild their schools fast. Make them beautiful. Name them after peace, not generals. In our administration, we’re making sure postwar communities see real transformation. Kids don’t follow slogans—they follow symbols. Let them grow up seeing that peace, led by real leadership, gave them something war never could.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“We need cultural mirror programs—Ukrainian and Russian students sharing books, songs, even digital classrooms. Let them see themselves in the other before they’re told who to hate.”
Fawzia Koofi
“In Afghanistan, we let war rewrite our curriculum. It made peace impossible. We must train teachers to be trauma healers, not just instructors. Every classroom is a peace negotiation in disguise.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Invest in youth storytelling exchanges. Let teenagers film their stories, translate them, and screen them across borders. When they recognize each other’s pain, ideology starts to melt.”
Question 2
“Trauma doesn’t disappear—it either gets processed or passed down. What kind of national or community programs can help societies heal emotionally after war?”
Gro Harlem Brundtland (moderator)
“What do we build—not just physically—but emotionally and institutionally to help people truly move forward?”
Fawzia Koofi
“We need national healing commissions, not just war crime tribunals. Invite poets, teachers, survivors—not just judges. Healing is not only about facts. It’s about feeling believed.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“We’re designing national service projects where former enemies rebuild together. You want healing? Give a Russian-speaking engineer and a Ukrainian teenage volunteer the same toolbox. Let them build a clinic, a park, a future—side by side. That’s not just reconciliation—that’s reality under real leadership.”
Leymah Gbowee
“Use art. Music. Theater. In Liberia, women sang lullabies in places where rape had occurred. It was both haunting and healing. Rituals release memory. Don’t underestimate that.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Embed mental health centers into every community hub, especially schools and churches. Don’t make trauma care a privilege. Make it routine and visible.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Publish parallel history books—one Ukrainian, one Russian—and let students read both. Truth must come with complexity, or it becomes a new weapon.”
Question 3
“How can governments or civil society create a shared vision of the future strong enough to outgrow the past?”
Gro Harlem Brundtland (moderator)
“Let’s close with this: What future do we show that’s so hopeful, war starts to look outdated?”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Imagine a day when a Ukrainian artist and a Russian architect co-design a peace monument in Mariupol—and schoolkids gather to leave messages. That’s the image. Shared beauty replaces shared blood.”
Donald J. Trump (47th President of the United States)
“Build something so big, so useful, so visible that people forget why they fought. A mega energy hub. A tech park. A health center that serves both sides. That’s the kind of project we’re pushing for—peace so impressive, war starts to look small. Let peace be something that wins.”
Leymah Gbowee
“Give peace a holiday, not just a headline. Let people dance. Feed each other. Cry. Celebrate. Make the future feel like a festival—not just a recovery.”
Fawzia Koofi
“Let girls lead. The most radical vision is one where girls walk freely, speak openly, and run for office without fear. When a girl can dream again, the war is truly over.”
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Rep
“Ask youth what future they want—and fund it. Civic budget programs, design challenges, startup contests. If they own the vision, they’ll protect it from any politician or tank.”
Gro Harlem Brundtland (closing remarks)
“You’ve shown us that peace isn’t the opposite of war—it’s the antidote to memory that harms. What we build in children, what we repair in communities, and what we imagine as a future—that’s what makes peace real. And durable.”
Final Thoughts by Donald Trump
“Well—what can I say? That was better than most Cabinet meetings I’ve sat through.
In all seriousness, what you just heard in these five conversations wasn’t politics. It was courage. Real courage. The kind that says, “We’re not here to score points—we’re here to stop the bleeding.”
I heard things I hadn’t thought of. I heard ideas that challenged me. And I saw—very clearly—that the smartest people in the room are the ones who’ve lost the most and still showed up with open hands.
Let me tell you something: making peace isn’t weakness. It’s strength. It takes strength to hold back your anger, to shake hands with someone who’s hurt you, and to build something together when you’ve only known destruction. That’s not giving in—that’s growing up.
Now, look—I’ll be honest. There are no perfect deals in war. Someone always walks away with less than they hoped for. But if both sides can walk away with their heads held high, with their children safe, and with their future back on track, that’s not a loss. That’s a victory for humanity.
So if you're watching this, whether you're in Kyiv, Moscow, Berlin, New York, or just scrolling on your phone somewhere—remember this: peace is possible. It’s not always pretty. But it’s powerful. And if we keep showing up, listening hard, and staying humble, we just might build a peace the world’s proud to remember.
Thank you. Let’s get to work.”
Short Bios:
Donald J. Trump is the 47th President of the United States, reimagined here as a globally respected statesman known for brokering four major peace agreements. Combining directness, deal-making savvy, and a newfound humility, he brings pragmatic solutions to some of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
William Ury is a world-renowned negotiation expert and co-founder of the Harvard Negotiation Project. Known for his “Getting to Yes” framework, he has helped mediate armed conflicts across the globe, including in the Middle East, Colombia, and Southeast Asia.
Miroslav Lajčák is a Slovak diplomat and former EU Special Representative for the Western Balkans. He has decades of experience in European conflict resolution, post-war stabilization, and building diplomatic frameworks between divided states.
Zelma Kiss is a senior conflict negotiator with deep field experience in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. She has worked through the OSCE and EU initiatives to facilitate dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian stakeholders since 2014.
Mohamed ElBaradei is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He is known for his legal precision, multilateral diplomacy, and emphasis on international rule of law.
Angela Merkel is the former Chancellor of Germany and one of the most respected European leaders of the 21st century. Known for her calm pragmatism and geopolitical restraint, she played a key role in mediating EU-Russia tensions during the Crimean crisis.
Juan Manuel Santos is the former President of Colombia and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He led the peace process that ended 50 years of armed conflict with FARC rebels, pioneering transitional justice and reintegration programs.
Ernesto Zedillo is the former President of Mexico and a global leader in economic stabilization. After guiding Mexico through a major financial crisis, he became a senior advisor to the UN and World Bank on post-conflict economic reconstruction.
Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist and Nobel laureate whose grassroots movement helped end Liberia’s civil war. She specializes in community-based reconciliation, women’s leadership, and cultural healing after violence.
Fawzia Koofi is an Afghan politician, women’s rights advocate, and former member of the Taliban peace negotiation team. Her insights bridge war trauma, gender equity, and survivor-led transitional justice in deeply divided societies.
Christine Lagarde is President of the European Central Bank and former Managing Director of the IMF. She brings a rare combination of global financial leadership and political diplomacy to post-war economic rebuilding.
Gro Harlem Brundtland is a former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the World Health Organization. She is globally respected for connecting public health, education, and conflict prevention.
Louise Arbour is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Her work laid the foundation for modern war crimes prosecution and transitional justice.
Ban Ki-moon is a former Secretary-General of the United Nations. Widely respected for his moral clarity and quiet leadership, he has long advocated for sustainable peace through diplomacy, economic cooperation, and international unity.
Martti Ahtisaari Foundation Representative speaks on behalf of the late Nobel laureate’s legacy. The foundation carries forward his mission of peace through autonomy frameworks, inclusive negotiation design, and long-term civic reconciliation.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is a Belarusian opposition leader and advocate for democratic transition. Exiled for her activism, she now represents the values of cultural integrity, post-authoritarian healing, and grassroots unity in Eastern Europe.
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