Major wars, simmering hostilities, and accelerating instability from Washington. FOREIGN POLICY Analysis
Project Syndicate
PS Commentators’ Predictions for 2026
Donald Trump’s second presidency has reset global expectations, making uncertainty the defining feature of today’s geopolitical and economic landscape. While the path forward remains unclear, the year ahead will likely be marked by greater geopolitical and financial turmoil.
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
World leaders arriving in New York for the UN General Assembly in September found a world organisation in trauma. Funding cuts have hit hard, and the wider UN membership faces tough choices about how to manage the fallout. Despite long-term questions over its future, the UN can still play a major role in a wide range of countries, conflicts and areas of work.
La Nota Internacional “El mundo en 2026”, elaborada por el equipo investigador de CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs), ofrece una mirada prospectiva sobre diez de los temas que definirán la agenda internacional en 2026.
La publicación incorpora ocho infografías originales y una agenda con 80 fechas clave, que incluyen elecciones, cumbres internacionales y efemérides relevantes para comprender el escenario global del próximo año.
Council on Foreign Relations
Every year, CFR’s Preventive Priorities Survey analyzes existing and potential conflicts throughout the world in terms of likelihood and possible impact. As the second Trump administration reorders U.S. foreign policy priorities, important questions remain about the country’s role in mitigating global conflict. Is the U.S. diplomatically prepared for the multitude of evolving conflicts worldwide and for new challenges on the horizon?
–Forecasting Humanitarian Risk in 2026: A Conversation With David Miliband
Foreign Policy
Every December, FP Live dedicates one episode to looking back at the year that was. A lot has happened in 2025. And a common… READ MORE
Project Syndicate
Beware of Central Economic Forecasts for 2026. M
PS Commentators’ Best Reads in 2025
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs will explore the historical arc of the nation’s understanding of itself and its global role. Through a series of high-level dialogues, expert perspectives, public and private programs, and a signature conference on June 18, the Council will engage with the critical questions that will define America’s future.
Learn More and Join Us in 2026
The World’s Fortunes Are Not a Zero-Sum Game
ANALYSIS
The Council invited experts and thought leaders from across the Midwest, the United States, and around the world to share how changes in American leadership, alliances, and global engagement have shaped the last 250 years—and what the current moment tells us about America’s next chapter. In his reflection, Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Lord Jim O’Neill makes the case that working with—rather than against—growing economies will only further America’s greatness: «The United States’ brilliance in cutting-edge technologies, the service sector, and much of its industries, as well as its cultural and academic institutions, will continue to benefit from seeking more open trade with everyone else—not by putting up barriers and giving false hope that insulation can boost productivity and prosperity.»
Related content:
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Trump’s First Year Back: What Stood Out
PODCAST
The past year has made one thing clear: this version of US President Donald Trump on the world stage is different. From the Caribbean to Europe to America’s own institutions, familiar rules don’t feel so fixed anymore. The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland joins Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri on Deep Dish to look back at the moments that defined Trump’s 2025—and to explore why 2026 could be even more dramatic.
The Chicago Coumcil on Global Affairs
The Year Ahead: A Town Hall with Council President Leslie Vinjamuri
EVENT
Heading into 2026, the global order is being reshaped in real time. New technologies, evolving diplomacy, and the rise of emerging powers are changing how nations interact. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, it does so amid deep uncertainty about its role in the world and the future of the international system. What challenges and opportunities lie ahead in the coming year? And how can Chicago and the Midwest influence how America engages in the world?
Join Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri as she shares her predictions for 2026 with Council Board Member Tom Wyler and discusses how the Council will be engaging people in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond in critical conversations on our global future.
Register to attend at 5:30 p.m. CT on 1/8, 2026
GZERO (Ian Bremmer)
Big global stories. Real conversations with world leaders. Our award-winning global affairs show, GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, goes beyond the headlines on the stories that matter most.
Click here for a look back at the 10 most quotable moments from this year’s episodes.
GZERO
The Economist
The Economist’s country of the year for 2025
What the “superforecasters” predict for major events in 2026
The Insider, The Economist
The year in review: the stories that defined 2025 (Dur, 52,32 minutes)
The Year in Review 2025 (Pat I, Robert Armstrong, FT)
GZERO
As GZERO readers will be all too aware, 2025 has been a hefty year for geopolitics. US President Donald Trump’s return to office has rocked global alliances, conflicts have raged from Khartoum to Kashmir, and new powers – both tangible and technological – have emerged.
To put a bow on the year, GZERO highlights the biggest geopolitics stories of 2025.
Economic Trends Shaping 2026: Trade, AI, Small Business
Global Challenges Foundation just released its 2026 report on Global Catastrophic Risks
There are certain events or scenarios that, should they unfold, would threaten large swaths of humanity across multiple continents. These are often referred to as Global Catastrophic Risks for their potential to disrupt lives and livelihoods on a massive — even planetary — scale.
The consequences of these risks are terrible, involving unimaginable levels of death and destruction. But while these dangers are very real, they are not inevitable. They can be prevented.
