Fears of global war grow among security experts: Atlantic Council survey

Fears of global war grow among security experts: Atlantic Council

Feb 12, 2025, 6:49am EST

Israeli soldiers rest on their tanks, on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Israel February 9, 2025. — Amir Cohen/Reuters

Fears of global war are rising among the world’s security experts.

As US competition with China heats up and friction between Russia and NATO builds, 40% of experts polled for the Atlantic Council’s Global Foresight 2025 Survey believe there will be another world war involving a multifront conflict among great powers in the next decade.

A survey showing how strategists think about geopolitical events within the next decade, including a conflict between NATO and Russia and China’s attempt to take over Taiwan.

Anxiety is particularly high around China-Taiwan tensions: 65% said they somewhat or strongly agree that China will attempt to retake Taiwan by force within the next decade, compared to 50% who said so in the survey released in 2024. A plurality — 45% — also signaled they believe Russia and NATO will likely engage in direct military conflict by 2035, up from 29% a year before.

— Morgan Chalfant