As global tensions rise, a familiar question is resurfacing with new urgency: how close is the world to a large-scale, multi-region conflict? From Eastern Europe to the Middle East and across the Indo-Pacific, rivalries are sharpening, military activity is increasing, and the margin for error feels thinner than it has in years. Most analysts agree a global war is not imminent—but they also acknowledge that the number of active flashpoints is growing, and with it, the risk of miscalculation.
The concern isn’t one single confrontation. It’s the combined pressure of several unresolved crises unfolding at the same time. Each region has its own history and actors, but all are operating in an environment defined by weakened trust, shifting alliances, and uncertainty about long-term intentions.
In Europe, the war between Russia and Ukraine remains the dominant security challenge. More than two years on, the conflict has settled into a costly stalemate marked by drone strikes, missile attacks, and limited territorial change.
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