Global military spending hit $2.887 trillion in 2025 as states abandon cooperation for competitive security, with major powers openly flouting international law on force. Middle powers like Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan are emerging as effective mediators where UN institutions falter, though peace deals now focus on short-term ceasefires rather than comprehensive settlements.
Security Risks Asia
· Jul 09, 2026
· security
· 41 min read
High
Sourcing: Verified
As Military Power Eclipses Diplomacy, New Peacemakers Emerge to Prevent Conflict
Atrocities in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia remain largely undeterred; Israel's military campaign in Gaza caused catastrophic civilian casualties; jihadist violence in the Sahel intensifies despite military interventions.
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Bias & Framing
⚖
Article frames international order collapse as inevitable while promoting diplomatic solutions, using selective examples and pessimistic framing that may overstate decline while underrepresenting stabilizing factors.
Bias Direction
center-left
Confidence
MED
Crisis framing with selective examples of great power violations (US, Russia, China) presented as evidence of systemic collapse, while positioning multilateral diplomacy and middle-power mediation as solutions without examining their track record or limitations.
post-WWII international order fading away
near collapse
faith in multilateral cooperation fades
increasingly brazen in flouting
all-out invasion
bloody civil strife
Atrocities are going undeterred and unpunished
Hard power is fast becoming the currency
Arguments that the international order remains functional in many domains (trade, health, climate)
Perspectives from major powers defending their security approaches
Analysis of successful conflict prevention cases in recent decades
Counterarguments that military buildups reflect rational security responses rather than order collapse
Views questioning whether middle-power mediation has proven effective
Discussion of whether reformed institutions can realistically constrain major powers
Geopolitical Impact
🌎
Post-WWII international order is collapsing as major powers prioritize military force over diplomacy, but middle-power mediation and reformed institutions offer conflict prevention pathways.
Escalation Risk
high
Confidence
HIGH
Ukraine
South China Sea
Myanmar
Sudan
Venezuela
Iran
Global
Shift from rules-based multilateral order to unilateral military assertion by major powers (US, Russia, China). Erosion of UN-centered authority. Rising role for middle-power mediators as traditional great-power enforcement mechanisms fail. Decentralization of peacemaking authority.
Similar to 1930s breakdown of League of Nations and rise of revisionist powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) as multilateral institutions lost credibility and enforcement capacity, preceding WWII.
Economic Lens
📈
Erosion of post-WWII international order increases geopolitical instability and military spending, but middle-power diplomacy and institutional reform offer pathways to reduce conflict-driven economic disruption.
Market Signal
bearish
Confidence
MED
Defense and military equipment manufacturing
International trade and commerce
Energy and commodities markets
Insurance and risk management
Aerospace and aviation
Financial services and banking
Increased geopolitical tensions drive higher defense spending (raising government debt/taxes), elevated commodity and energy prices, supply chain disruptions, reduced international trade benefits, and higher insurance/financing costs for businesses and consumers.
Governments likely to increase military budgets and defense spending; potential sanctions regimes; pressure for multilateral institution reform; possible trade protectionism; increased regulatory scrutiny of cross-border transactions; potential currency volatility and capital controls in conflict-adjacent regions.