2025 Witnessed the Most Active Conflicts Since the End of World War II

What Happened?

As 2025 ended, it was a year defined by violent conflicts around the world. While major wars raged from Sudan to Gaza and Ukraine, there were also smaller, intermittent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as India and Pakistan. Syria and Yemen also witnessed bouts of heavy fighting, and countries adjacent to major conflicts, such as Lebanon, saw conflict spill across their borders.

All told, there were more active conflicts across the globe in 2025 than at any time since the end of the Second World War. 

Why it Matters

Ending major conflicts has never been easy, and that remains the case today. For example, though there is a ceasefire agreement in place in Gaza, it has been violated multiple times by both sides, and full-scale hostilities could resume with little warning.

Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain stalled due to a lack of progress on the core issue of the territorial control of eastern Ukraine, which both countries still claim. Thailand and Cambodia have continued to trade fire even after they agreed to a tentative peace deal because neither wants to lose face by being perceived to have given in to the other side.

The war between Russia and Ukraine remains the most dangerous active conflict because it has the potential to spread to Europe and to draw NATO into a direct war with Russia. Russia is likely responsible for several incidents, such as sabotage and assassination in Europe, and European leaders have responded by embarking on large-scale rearmament programs, especially in Poland and Germany. A more militarized Europe alongside an aggressive Russia and increasingly indifferent United States means the risk of the war in Ukraine growing into a global conflict is likely to increase in 2026. 

The peace in Gaza remains fragile, and the risk of war reigniting remains high. Hamas has refused to disarm, which is a core condition for the continuation of the peace plan. Israel has said if Hamas does not disarm, they will resume full-scale hostilities, and there is every reason to believe they will make good on that threat. If the war does continue, it would be another humanitarian disaster for the Palestinians and would create political headaches for the U.S. and Israel, both of whom have national elections this year.

China continues to threaten Taiwan, and though China appears to have learned some lessons from other conflicts around the world to make them wary of launching a full invasion. Another takeaway Beijing appears to have absorbed is that the old post-World War II political consensus has broken down, and in the new reality, major powers are free to use military force whenever they want to with minimal consequences. The chance of direct Chinese military action against Taiwan in 2026 is likely to be higher than it was this year for that reason. 

The United States has carried out military strikes against targets in Iran, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, and the southern Caribbean. 2025 was the most active year for the U.S. military since the withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan in 2021. While the strikes showcased the global reach and skill of the U.S. military, past lessons about the ineffectiveness and unintended consequences of limited airstrikes against terrorist organizations already seem to have been forgotten.

How it Affects You

The growing number of active conflicts globally presents world leaders with significant challenges to maintaining their own security and the stability of international order. Many current combatants see little reason to compromise because they believe they stand to lose more from the terms of peace than the continuation of hostilities. Until that changes, 2026 will likely see the continuation of many of the conflicts active in 2025.