How many wars did Biden end?
Executive summary
President Biden can be credibly credited with ending one major, long-running U.S. combat engagement: the American combat mission in Afghanistan, concluded with the August 2021 withdrawal from that country [1] [2]. Beyond Afghanistan, however, the Biden administration has not ended other active conflicts tied to U.S. policy—U.S. counterterrorism operations continued across dozens of countries and major regional wars (Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen-related strikes) persisted or expanded under his watch [3] [4] [5].
1. The one clear “ended” war: Afghanistan — mission withdrawal, chaotic finish
The clearest answer to “How many wars did Biden end?” is one: the U.S. combat role in Afghanistan formally ended with the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal, a decision that closed America’s two-decade war but did so amid a chaotic evacuation and deadly attacks that underscored the cost and controversy of that exit [1] [2].
2. Ongoing and resurgent conflicts show the limits of “ending” wars
Ending a named U.S. war does not mean global U.S. military disengagement; the Biden years continued counterterrorism missions, air strikes, and ground actions in many places—Brown University’s Costs of War project documents U.S. operations in 78 countries between 2021 and 2023, including ground combat in at least nine countries and air strikes in multiple theaters—demonstrating that military engagement persisted even after Afghanistan [3].
3. Regional wars and U.S. influence: Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen — not ended
Major international wars have continued or expanded during Biden’s presidency: the war in Ukraine remained active with U.S. support rather than an American exit (commentary disputes whether U.S. policy has contained or prolonged fighting) [5] [6], and the Gaza conflict erupted into large-scale fighting that the White House later framed efforts to mediate but did not “end” as a war in force [7] [4]. Likewise, U.S. strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen and rising regional tensions demonstrate ongoing violence rather than closures of conflict [4].
4. Political narratives and competing claims: what “ended” means politically
Political actors shape the story: the White House frames diplomacy and ceasefire roadmaps as steps toward ending hostilities [7], while critics at think tanks and opinion outlets argue the administration has nurtured or mismanaged multiple conflicts, implying it has not achieved peace but rather managed or prolonged wars through arms, sanctions, and calibrated engagement [5] [6]. Opponents have used simplistic talking points—such as claims that recent presidents “didn’t have any wars”—to score political points, a claim contested by media analysts who note America’s continuing military footprint [4].
5. How to count wars: practical, legal, and rhetorical thresholds
Whether a president “ended” a war depends on the metric: legally and operationally, Afghanistan’s combat mission was ended under Biden [1]; politically and rhetorically, ending a war might mean brokering durable ceasefires or removing U.S. involvement from multi-year conflicts, outcomes not achieved in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, or in the global counterterrorism posture documented by Costs of War [3] [7]. Reporting and opinion pieces reflect implicit agendas—administration fact sheets emphasize diplomatic wins [7], while critics stress ongoing violence and unintended consequences to argue the opposite [5] [6].
Conclusion: the concise answer
By practical and widely reported measures, Biden ended one major U.S. combat war—Afghanistan—while numerous other conflicts continued, expanded, or were managed rather than concluded, and U.S. military operations persisted across the globe [1] [3] [4]. Sources differ on whether the administration’s actions count as successful conflict management or as prolonging wars for strategic ends, and the record shows a mixed legacy rather than a broad abolition of U.S. military engagements [5] [6] [7].