For President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Gaza peace deal is more than a diplomatic win; it is a tool to reframe the entire realm of what is possible in international conflict resolution. He is using this “outstanding achievement” to shatter the narrative that the war in Ukraine is an intractable stalemate.
By repeatedly celebrating the Gaza deal, Zelensky is creating a new baseline for expectations. He is telling the world that ending brutal, long-running conflicts is not a once-in-a-generation miracle, but something that can be achieved now, with the right leadership.
This reframing is a direct challenge to any fatigue or cynicism among his allies. It replaces the narrative of a forever war with a narrative of achievable peace. “If a war can be stopped in one region,” he repeats, “then surely other wars can be stopped as well.”
He attributes this new possibility directly to President Donald Trump’s leadership, making the US central to this reframed world of possibilities. It is an invitation for the US to embrace this role and prove that the Gaza success was not a fluke.
As bombs fall on Kharkiv, this act of reframing is an act of defiance. Zelensky is fighting a narrative war as fiercely as the physical one, insisting on a future where peace is not just a hope, but an expectation.
