At first glance, isolated conflicts in different regions of the world may turn into a prelude to a new world war, warn the editors of Bloomberg.
“Some officials and investors are suggesting that a network of intersecting conflicts stretching from West Africa to Ukraine to the Middle East could be a prelude to another global conflict, this time starting not with a bang, but several.” writes the agency.
As the war in Ukraine enters its second year, a new armed standoff has erupted between Israel and Hamas, fueling fears of violence spreading across the Middle East region. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a series of coups, and Azerbaijan recently seized Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenia had claimed for decades.
“All of this raises the risk that the world’s frozen conflicts will begin to flare up as the United States, Russia, Iran and their Arab neighbors scramble to protect their interests, mirroring the great power rivalry of the last century,” notes Bloomberg.
Experts suggest that the current situation carries echoes of the period before the First World War, when alliances around Germany, France, Britain and Russia embroiled Europe in a continental conflict. And it doesn’t take into account China’s intentions towards Taiwan, which could potentially provoke a confrontation with the US.
“Although there are many incentives to pull back from the brink, what appear to be limited incidents can have catastrophic consequences,” the article concluded.
2023-12-01 17:37:05
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