A global affairs expert has issued a stark warning the countdown to World War Three could begin as early as 2025. This comes amid escalating tensions worldwide, including the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and accusations of espionage by China in the UK and other Western countries.
As we approach the New Year, two international relations experts agree the situation is likely to worsen in 2025, particularly with the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House. Professor Anthony Glees from the University of Buckingham predicts Putin will continue his long-term plan to reclaim all countries once part of the USSR, reports the Mirror.
Meanwhile, Professor John Strawson from the University of East London warns 2025 will present “the greatest challenges to international order since World War 2 ended 80 years ago”. He elaborated: “The dangers stem from the rise of great power rivalry and the decline of international cooperation.
“In 1945 the Allies created the United Nations even before the war ended with the aim of promoting a new world order, in the 2020’s that order has effectively collapsed as we can see in the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and the tensions over Taiwan.”
Prof Glees has expressed his view on the current political climate, stating: “Trump’s victory in the US elections is a symptom international instability is having an impact on domestic politics. Donald Trump’s well-known unpredictability symbolises this and underlines how the domestic situation of the main powers has an impact on international relations. All this makes 2025 a dangerous year.”
He believes although Trump may seek to impose peace between Russia and Ukraine, it won’t curb Putin’s expansionist ambitions. Prof Glees suggests the West should prepare for war as the “most important thing we can do to prevent one.”
During his presidential campaign, Trump claimed he could resolve the Ukraine conflict in just one day, with his team hinting at a plan to establish an 800-mile buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, part of the supposed strategy includes a 20-year moratorium on Ukraine joining NATO, which would serve Putin’s interests by ensuring Ukraine doesn’t join the alliance during his lifetime.
This would also likely result in the US heavily arming Ukraine to deter any further Russian aggression. Prof Glees raised concerns the global political climate is edging closer to conflict, predicting a move towards war by 2025.
“I do not believe for one second that Putin will stop with this deal. Putin also said today that Russia was now well-placed to ‘establish our primary goals in Ukraine’,” he remarked. Please note the word ‘primary’ because there are also ‘secondary’ goals.
“They are even more horrific than his ‘primary’ ones. By 2027 he will be busily undermining the rump Ukrainian state in all the usual ways and I also think we will go out of his way to kill Zelensky.”
Furthermore, Prof Glees warned Putin’s ambitions could ultimately trigger WW3, as he plans a significant territorial expansion. “He will turn to his strategic plan of re-establishing the USSR and its satellite system in all but name by turning on all the post-1997 NATO states,” the professor explained.
“He’s said it is his intention to force them to leave NATO and I believe we should take the threat very seriously, as we should have taken all his threats seriously but signally failed to do.”
According to Prof Glees, the potential “big grab” by Putin targets a wide range of countries, an act of aggression so severe it would likely lead to military opposition and the commencement of WW3.
“We’re talking about Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia; Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and West Macedonia. In other words, a really big grab by Putin, so big that I am confident we will oppose him by force and that will be how WW3 will develop.
“This will shape our deteriorating relations with Russia. Trump’s foolish and false peace deal will start the clock for the countdown to war.”
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