-
By:
Gashi-Mehmeti butterfly
- December 31, 2025 21:00
- Share to:
US President Donald Trump was the main character in the biggest events of 2025. He brokered the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, while he has intensified efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine. But Trump also took care to shake up world markets with tariffs during the year.
US President Donald Trump's hand was in most of the biggest events in the world during 2025. His great influence has been noticed with the first decisions of his second term that began on January 20, the continuous efforts and pressure to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and the historic and even tense meetings with some of the most current leaders on the international scene. The issue of Ukraine, which he believed he could solve in 24 hours, has turned out to be his biggest problem.
Achieving a ceasefire in Gaza
The main event that started the year 2025 was the reaching of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war, which came into effect on January 19. The parties agreed to stop the fighting after 15 months of war, with the main impetus for this being the newly elected US president, Donald Trump, who, before he had even officially taken office for a second term, demanded a halt to the fighting before he was inaugurated, threatening "hell" for the Middle East.
Trump's inauguration and the first 200 orders
Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term as US president on January 20. In the first days of his second term, Trump shocked everyone by signing nearly 200 executive orders on issues ranging from immigration to climate change to pardons for those accused of the Capitol attack. Among the first orders were those declaring a national emergency on the southern border with Mexico, as well as one to end automatic citizenship for anyone born in America. One of the decisions that has sparked international reaction was his withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Trump has also ordered the military to “close the borders,” while mentioning drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes related to illegal border crossings. The US under the “Trump 2” administration will recognize only “two genders, male and female.” The first set of directives signed by Trump includes withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump first withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, before Joe Biden brought the US back into it in 2021.
also
Trump wants end to war in Ukraine after Gaza ceasefire
The shocking discovery in Syria after the fall of Assad
The remains of dozens of victims of Bashar al-Assad's regime were found in late January by Syrian civil defense workers in two separate basements on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. Several mass graves have been found since the fall of Assad's government in December 2024. Assad's government, which ruled Syria for more than two decades, used airstrikes on civilian areas, torture, executions and mass detentions to maintain control over Syria and crush opposition groups during the country's 13-year civil war. Assad's fall on December 8 prompted hundreds of families to rush to prisons and morgues in a desperate search for loved ones.
US-Russia talks on Ukraine begin, without Ukraine
US President Donald Trump shook up international diplomacy in late February by taking senior US officials to meet with some of Russia's top officials in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine itself was not invited to the talks to end the war in Ukraine. No Ukrainian officials were present at the meeting, which took place as the country was losing ground to larger Russian troops in a bitter war that began three years ago. Tensions arose between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump after the US-Russia meeting.
The creepy Trump-Zelensky meeting
The February 28 White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was marked by unusual tensions. Zelensky had planned to sign important agreements with the US during the meeting. Instead, the Ukrainian leader left the White House in a huff. Tensions surfaced in the final 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting. President Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, accused Zelensky of being ungrateful and unappreciative of US aid for the war in Ukraine. When the Ukrainian leader expressed skepticism about any promises by Putin to end the war, Vance strongly rebuked him for publicly disagreeing with Trump. This immediately changed the tone of the conversation as Zelensky began to defend himself while Trump and his deputy called him ungrateful and issued stern warnings about future American support.
CDU wins German elections, far-right doubles in power
The CDU came first in Germany’s snap national elections, held on February 23. The far-right Alternative for Germany party doubled its support to come in second. The surprise of these elections was the high result of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which came in second with 20,8% of the vote. Formed in reaction to Eurozone policies in 2013, the AfD was accustomed to being on the fringes of German politics, in a country scarred by its Nazi past, where any far-right party is treated with caution. The CDU leader, Friedrich Merz, became Germany’s new chancellor in early May.
The return of war in Gaza
Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18. The ceasefire collapsed after disagreements emerged between Israel and Hamas over the return of hostages. The attacks were resumed as a form of pressure on Hamas, which had not accepted an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire. The residents of the Gaza Strip had run out of the brief calm they had enjoyed, even in the ruins of their homes destroyed by the war that began in October 2023. More than 400 Palestinians were killed on the first day of the resumption of attacks, one of the deadliest days of the war.
Erdogan's main rival arrested
Days before he was announced as the candidate of Turkey's largest opposition party for president, authorities arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. Imamoglu is a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was seen as a potential winner in the 2028 presidential election. The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office said the arrest was part of an investigation into corruption and collaboration with an organization that Turkey considers a terrorist organization. Imamoglu's detention has sparked protests in Istanbul, with thousands of people taking to the streets to protest the move.
Trump "ignites trade war"
US President Donald Trump sent shockwaves around the world when he announced new tariffs on US imports on April 3. Calling it “Liberation Day” for America, Trump said he was putting the interests of his people first. The tariffs have roiled global markets and prompted condemnation from other leaders who are grappling with the end of an era of trade liberalization that has shaped the global order for decades. Trump had argued that the new taxes would boost domestic production in the US and create jobs.
The death of Pope Francis
Pope Francis died on April 21 after suffering a stroke. Presidents, royals and citizens bid him farewell in a solemn ceremony that called for the pontiff's legacy of caring for migrants, the oppressed and the environment to be kept alive. The Argentine pontiff, who led for 12 years, died at the age of 88. The first Latin American pope had repeatedly called for an end to conflict during his papacy. Francis, who has shunned much of the pomp and privilege of the papacy, had asked to be buried in St. Mary's Basilica rather than St. Peter's. It was the first time a pope had been buried outside the Vatican in more than a century.
Election of the new pope
More than 130 cardinals elected a new pope on May 8, the second day of the conclave at the Vatican. American Robert Prevost was elected as the new pope. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV. His background and ideologies have raised questions in among theologians and academics. Chicago-born Robert Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope, overcoming the traditional avoidance of electing a pope from the United States.
also
Trump sparks optimism among G7 leaders over end to Ukraine war
Trump's historic meeting with Syria's leader
A historic meeting took place on May 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump met face to face with the interim president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. It was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries since 2000. The day before the meeting, Trump, during a speech in Riyadh, as part of his four-day tour of the Middle East, announced the decision to lift nearly 40 years of sanctions on Syria. And President Sharaa, the person for whom the US was offering $ 10 million a year ago because of his past ties to Al-Qaeda, Trump called an attractive guy with a past as a fighter.
Plane crashes in India shortly after takeoff
A Boeing 787 passenger jet crashed in India on June 12, minutes after takeoff, with more than 240 people on board. The plane crashed in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, with only one person surviving. Part of the plane fell on a medical college in Ahmedabad, bringing the total death toll to 270. It was the first fatal crash since the plane, also known as the Dreamliner, entered service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database.
The US attacks Iran
US President Donald Trump, who has not faced any major international crises in his first term, has become embroiled in one just six months into his second. On June 21, he gave the green light for the US to strike Iran, thus entering the Israel-Iran war. The approval came after more than a week of Israeli air strikes on Iran's nuclear and military facilities paved the way for the US to deliver a potentially decisive strike. The US struck three Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday, June 21: Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.
Historic Trump-Putin meeting
The long-awaited and much-talked-about summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 16 in Alaska did not bring peace to Ukraine. The two presidents praised each other and called the meeting a success, but did not provide any details about what they discussed about Ukraine during the two-hour meeting. Trump welcomed Putin on a red carpet laid out on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The two leaders shook hands warmly and smiled. It was a remarkable moment for Putin - a leader shunned by most Western countries since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump's plan ends the war in Gaza
Just days before the two-year anniversary of the start of the Gaza war, Israel and Hamas responded positively to a 20-point plan by US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire. Under Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which took effect on October 10, Hamas would release its remaining 48 hostages, about 20 of whom were still alive, within three days. It would also relinquish power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from most of Gaza, free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow for the flow of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. So far, even the first phase has not been completed, with a body of Israeli hostages still unreleased by Hamas.
Trump-Xi meeting
A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 30 in South Korea appeared to ease tensions, especially on trade, between the two countries. But beyond some basic agreements, the underlying issues of trade tensions have not been resolved. The talks missed the big issues Trump mentioned when he announced his tariffs in April — China’s industrial policies, manufacturing overcapacity and its export-led growth model. But the US president emerged from the meeting enthusiastic, announcing afterwards that tariffs on Chinese imports would be cut to 47% from about 57%. He said Xi would work very hard to stop the flow of chemicals used to make the deadly opioid that is the leading cause of overdose deaths in America.
Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine
In the last week of November, a plan drawn up by the Trump administration aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia was leaked to the media. According to reports, the new draft proposal foresees that Kiev will give up part of the territory and reduce its military capabilities. The 28-point plan has provoked reactions from Ukrainians and Europeans, as its initial form was considered to be in favor of Russia's demands. US officials have said that the plan is still being drafted and that any final agreement must include concessions from both sides, not just Ukraine. Several rounds of meetings have been held so far between Trump's envoys and the Ukrainian and Russian sides, but there has been no visible progress. Ukraine, together with its European allies, have recently prepared a new plan, which, according to Zelensky, envisages the possibility of withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the eastern region, on the condition that it remains a demilitarized and free economic zone, under international supervision.
Putin rejects compromise on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled in December that he would not compromise on his demands that Ukraine cede territory, despite intense peace efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a scathing speech at an annual summit, Putin lashed out at Ukraine’s European allies and said Russia would take territory by force if necessary. The issue of territory and security guarantees for Ukraine are proving to be the most difficult parts of the peace talks. Russia has illegally annexed Ukraine’s Donbas region, but has not fully occupied it. On December 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev would not recognize the temporarily occupied part of the eastern Donbas region as legally, or de facto, Russian.
The "progress" meeting between Trump and Zelensky
also
Trump: Russia should reach an agreement to end the war
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky said progress had been made to end the war in Ukraine during a recent meeting in Florida on December 28, but the US leader added that there were still "one or two very difficult issues to resolve." Trump said one sticking point was the issue of territory. A day after the meeting, Zelensky told reporters that he had asked for security guarantees from the US for 50 years, while according to him, the US peace plan only provides security guarantees for 15 years.
