Special to WorldTribune.com

By John J. Metzler, December 30, 2025

It’s time to consult the crystal snow globe and try to peer ahead what may be on the horizon for the new year. Without question 2025 has been tumultuous, but the year ahead holds cautious promise to finally solve some political crises mixed with some epic events on tap.

Ukraine; Now in its fourth Winter of war and despair, beleaguered Ukraine still is holding the line against the Russia invasion. Tough European rhetoric alone will not stop Vladimir Putin. A militarily strengthened and politically unified NATO will, through a steady stream of lethal weapons to Kyiv. Equally the European Union has loaned $106 billion to Ukraine.

Peace efforts by the United States and Europeans have not always converged, but the central theme of maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence remains a political and strategic imperative as it should. The question remains at what cost and risk? Following President Donald Trump’s latest meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida to revive momentum towards the Ukraine peace process, the President stated, “We’re getting a lot closer, maybe very close… talks are “moving in the right direction.” Look to an imperfect peace deal in the Spring; All sides are exhausted.

Gaza; The self inflicted suffering from the Hamas terrorism and Israeli counterattacks has destroyed an already poor and vulnerable region. After so much suffering an American-brokered ceasefire in October largely stopped the fighting but not the violence. In late November the UN Security Council approved a landmark American resolution mapping our Gaza’s path to peace and rebuilding. Importantly most key Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates back the U.S. initiatives. Keep focused on implementation of the Gaza accord.

Iran; The Islamic Republic was dealt a near deadly blow last June by the USA and Israel. The Teheran’s regime support of terror proxies be they in Yemen, Lebanon on Gaza has lessened but not stopped. The Ayatollahs remain the Godfathers of state supported international terror. Domestically Iran carried out 1,500 executions last year, the largest number to date. But what of Iran’s own brittle theological regime itself?

China/Taiwan; There’s a looming crisis as Beijing steps up pressure on Japan as well as Taiwan. Chinese communist military harassment to the self-ruled island is growing. As China tightens the noose on democratic Taiwan, the geo-strategic implications of Beijing’s actions increasingly confront East Asia. Significantly the Trump Administration has slated $11 billion in defensive arms sales to Taiwan.

Venezuela; Once a fairly prosperous democracy, tragically Venezuela has been turned into a socialist Narco-state. The tireless opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won a Nobel Prize for her tenacity in pressing for the transition from dictatorship to democracy. Nearly 7 million Venezuelans have fled their country in recent years. But will the discredited Maduro regime step down? Not likely. Despite the presence of a massive U.S. Navy fleet, the Trump Administration should avoid direct military action.

Latin America; The region is trending conservative again; Beyond a libertarian-right government in Argentina, conservative candidates have recently won elections in Chile, Bolivia, El Salvador, Panama and Honduras. Brazil’s election later this year could tip the regional realignment and undermine decades of Chinese commercial and political influence in Latin America.

Humanitarian Crises; UN Humanitarian aid is stretched thin with global crisis areas such as Sudan and Haiti. Massive Refugee and food crises are commonplace. Equally there remain lingering catastrophes in Afghanistan, Myanmar and Syria.

Terrorism; A surge in targeted but often bizarre terrorism has plagued the world from the jihadi attack on Australia’s Bondi beach massacring 15 Jewish residents, to Nigerian kidnappings/killings of Christians, the ongoing sectarian religious violence in Syria, to European train attacks by knife-wielding jihadis. We’ve somehow become anesthetized to such horror. The Gaza/Israel conflict has energized the extremist-Left “Palestine network.” Somehow over the past five years, it became impolite to talk about radical Islamist terrorism.

USA; Many observers are focused on the 2026 Congressional Midterm elections in November. Can the Republican Party hold its narrow margin in the House of Representatives facing a massively funded Democrat Party onslaught?

There’s some notable summer events which somehow have been overlooked. The FIFA Football/Soccer World Cup. Every four years the top teams meet for coveted World Cup. This time the venue is shared in stadiums among the United States, Canada and Mexico! During mid-June to mid-July, national teams from 48 countries including powerhouses such as Argentina, Croatia, France, Germany, Morocco, Portugal and the USA will face off in 104 matches.

Then there’s the The Fourth of July; America’s 250 Birthday Party promises to be AMAZING!

Peace on Earth in 2026.

John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism the Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China (2014). [See pre-2011 Archives]