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By RFE/RL personnel – Dec 28, 2024, 4:00 PM CST
- The Ukraine war has actually ended up being an international dispute, with Western democracies pitted versus a bloc of countries challenging the current world order.
- Populist and authoritarian leaders are making headway worldwide, threatening democratic organizations.
- The return of Donald Trump to the White House is anticipated to considerably affect global relations, from trade to local disputes.
In 2015, we challenged 10 of our reporters from throughout our broadcast area to peer into the future and anticipate what the year ahead may bring. Gluttons for penalty, they’re back once again– reviewing 2024 and sharing their insights on what 2025 may have in shop.
A couple of repeating styles emerge from their forecasts:
- The war in Ukraine has actually ended up being an international dispute, broadly pitting the West versus an emerging bloc of states that are challenging the existing world order.
- Populist motions and authoritarian leaders are acquiring traction worldwide, putting pressure on democracy and democratic organizations.
- Much will hinge on Donald Trump. The president-elect’s go back to the White House in January 2025 is currently improving worldwide characteristics– from transatlantic trade to politics in the Balkans.
For all this and more, continue reading.
Ukraine: Ending Putin’s War
By Vital? Portnikov
At the end of 2023, I argued that even if one side attained a military success in Ukraine in 2024, it would not always bring us closer to a political resolution.
This held true then and holds true now, mainly since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine becomes part of a wider program, an effort to bring back, if not the Soviet empire itself, then a minimum of its sphere of impact.
What might press the war in Ukraine closer to a resolution is the approaching modification at the White House. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump continues to assert his preparedness to broker a peace offer in between Russia and Ukraine.
The concern, however, is whether Trump’s intents and decision will suffice. Modification would need not just the inbound U.S. president’s dedication to ending the war however likewise contract in Kyiv and Moscow to stop hostilities.
If Putin were to consent to end the dispute– in spite of ongoing Russian offensives on the battleground and unrelenting strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities– it would likely depend upon 2 crucial elements.
The very first is the Russian president’s acknowledgment that his nation’s financial circumstance can not sustain an extended war. The 2nd is Putin’s preparedness to move from military pressure on Ukraine to political impact and destabilization.
