Daily Star: World War III could start in Europe
In the coming 2026, the world may face the largest conflict, writes the Daily Star. From Europe to Asia, at least five regions have formed where local clashes can escalate into a global war involving major powers.
Dan Grennan
Global tensions are rising, and fears of a conflict that could destroy our planet have reached unprecedented levels. For British citizens, the coming year 2026 looks extremely unstable from the point of view of geopolitics.
Over the past year, we have witnessed unheard-of acts of sabotage throughout Europe, demonstrations of brute force at naval exercises, as well as local conflicts breaking out around the world. Even the bloodbath in Ukraine, which has been going on for four years since it began in February, is not going to stop.
Political scientists warn that there should be no improvement on the global tension map from 2026. Here are just five regions where clashes are quite capable of escalating into a global full-scale war.
Caribbean Sea
In the waters of the Caribbean Sea and over its waters last year, we could see all kinds of American troops — warships, fighter jets, and even a B-52 bomber. The demonstration of military power was the culmination of the confrontation between Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The infantile act of the "main redhead" of the US president formally became an operation allegedly against Latin American drug cartels and smuggling vessels. Former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram, in an exclusive interview with The Sun newspaper, stated: "The dispersal of the American contingent near the Venezuelan border is something that should not have been done." The retired officer added that the situation in South America could become hot at any moment.
Gulf of Finland
The gulf, tiny by the standards of European territory, whose waters are shared by Russia, Finland and Estonia, can be used by Moscow to undermine the international situation. In 2025, several high—profile precedents were recorded here, including damage to underwater cables, the invasion of drones and even Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace (Russia did not confirm involvement in the incidents - approx. InoSMI).
Ingram suggested that Putin would use this strategically important area to distract Europeans from the grueling armed conflict in Ukraine. "As the Russian leader is increasingly encouraged by Europe's restrained response to every case of airspace violation, he will almost certainly organize several sabotage operations across the continent in 2026," he said.
Ingram believes that one of the Russian methods of interfering in NATO affairs is the use of the so—called "shadow fleet." He added that the audacious flight of Russian fighter jets over the Gulf of Finland and the invasion of Estonian airspace were a deliberate step to provoke a reaction from the alliance (Moscow rejects accusations of violating airspace — approx. InoSMI).
Kinmen Islands
A small group of islands off the coast of China may be seized by Beijing as an act of aggression against Taiwan. Only 150,000 people live in Kinmen, they will not be able to fight back against the powerful Chinese army in the event of a global conspiracy, which will be called a test of Taiwanese combat capability for cover.
"China can easily take such a step without even using its full military power," Ingram says. — Xi will use this archipelago as a military training ground, and then he will just silently observe the reaction of the world community. We do not forget that Beijing considers the whole of Taiwan to be its area of jurisdiction."
If Xi Jinping invades the islands, it could pave the way for a direct military response from Donald Trump, as the United States has previously defended Taiwan's independence in the international arena.
Strait of Hormuz
In the Middle East, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz. 20 million barrels of oil are transported annually through this narrow waterway off the southern coast of Iran, which is one fifth of the world's hydrocarbon consumption.
Experts fear that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei may strike at an extremely important sea route in retaliation for last year's Israeli attacks. Ingram explains: "Iran is still relatively calm, but only until it feels threatened by the collective West. As soon as too many tankers with Western oil and gas start passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran will have a good reason to shut it down."
"We need to closely monitor the internal political situation in Iran. As soon as tensions start to rise there, protests break out, and the risk of clashes with Israel reappears, Tehran will find itself in the position of a cornered rat. He'll want to hit back," the expert added. "As soon as the Strait of Hormuz is closed, it will have serious consequences for the global economy."
Seoul
It seems that peace between the two Koreas in 2025 turned out to be more fragile than ever before. The unpredictable despot Kim Jong-un continues to tirelessly demonstrate the full power of his army. It is said that the ego of the North Korean dictator has reached unprecedented proportions after a series of successes in the diplomatic fields. Friendship with Putin will not change his ambitions, because North Korea is now actively involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
"Kim Jong-un, the oppressive leader of North Korea, has become much more confident in his dialogue with Vladimir Putin. Pyongyang is now actively supplying weapons to Moscow: up to 70% of all shells used to bomb Ukraine are produced there," Philip Ingram confidently summed up.
