Wishing for peace is far easier than making peace.

President Donald Trump’s grand ambitions in the Middle East and Ukraine are struggling against their own internal limitations and the horrific hangovers of two brutal wars.

Trump ditched plans for a quick second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, declaring Tuesday that he didn’t want to waste his time, in the latest dizzying gyration of his drama-laden but so far futile peace push.

And Vice President JD Vance rushed to the Middle East, where Trump just last week expressed hopes he’d forged “everlasting peace.” The ceasefire he brokered between Israel and Hamas is holding … just.

Trump’s critics might take some satisfaction that his big plans risk stalling out. He’s brought some skepticism on himself with his hyperbolic presentation of promising incremental events as epochal breakthroughs. But rooting against him just to deprive him of wins would be crass, given that global stability and thousands of lives may depend on Trump’s success.

Trump needs to work both wars around the clock

Complications bursting up around both of Trump’s major peace efforts underscore how constant US engagement is needed along with the president’s personal attention despite the constant whirl of controversy that surrounds him.

After he halted fighting in Gaza, a significant achievement, there were hopes he could vault into a fresh attempt