Welcome to the winter issue of The World Today.
Europe is under threat, from within and beyond: as Ukraine struggles to repel Russia, security imperatives loom ever larger; populist nationalists are making more electoral gains; and European economies continue to lose out to China and the United States. And here comes Donald Trump to sharpen all three crises – but, as José Manuel Barroso writes, Trump 2.0 may be just the shock Europe needs.
Elsewhere in our lead package, it seems the European Union can no longer rely on its estranged power couple, France and Germany – John Lichfield reports on why Paris and Berlin need to patch things up fast. Finally, argues Armida van Rij, Europe must wake up to the combined threat of the Crinks, aka China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
What does the world hold in store in 2025? Read what experts from across Chatham House will be keeping an eye on in the coming year.
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s former humanitarian chief, tells us that aid cannot be a substitute for principled conflict mediation. In Sudan, successful local responses to the civil war point to a new aid model, says Kholood Khair. In Afghanistan, meanwhile, some women are resisting their ever-worsening conditions under the Taliban – Zahra Joya reports on small but important moments of protest.
With Trump 2.0 in mind, Gabriel Gatehouse and Matthew Sweet discuss the implications for American power now that conspiracy theorists may soon be in the White House. Immigration was a big issue in the presidential election – but Christopher Sabatini says that the weaponization of migrants by the failing states of Latin America isn’t only a US problem.
Finally, it’s year’s end, so why not dip into our quiz of 2024? The World Today team hopes you get an enjoyable break over the holiday period and wishes you all the best for 2025.