To many in Europe and the United States, the idea of a global war no longer feels like a far-off possibility.
Speaking to reporters in Düsseldorf, Germany’s leader Friedrich Merz acknowledged this growing anxiety. “We are not at war,” he said, referring to Russia’s efforts to undermine European unity over the war in Ukraine. “But we are no longer at peace either.”
Merz did not explicitly mention World War III, but his comments reflect a widespread unease across Western nations. Recent surveys reveal that many Europeans and Americans now believe a global conflict could erupt within the next five to ten years.
Rising Tensions Across Multiple Fronts
Robert Muggah, founder of SecDev, a Canadian security and intelligence think tank, says there are clear signs of a “global war being fought across multiple domains” — even if it has not been formally declared.
From cyber warfare to drone sabotage, the evidence is mounting:
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Airports in Denmark and Poland have faced paralyzing drone attacks and cyber-sabotage.
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So-called “little green men” — unmarked Russian soldiers reminiscent of those who seized Crimea in 2014 — have recently appeared near an Estonian border crossing with Russia.
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Meanwhile, China has ramped up military exercises around Taiwan, which Beijing insists must eventually reunite with the mainland.
These overlapping flashpoints have left many analysts warning that the world may already be sliding into a new era of multi-domain global conflict, one that blends military, cyber, economic, and information warfare.
A Dangerous Global Shift
The sense of unease runs deeper than any single incident. Europe’s proximity to the Ukraine war, the Middle East’s instability, and rising U.S.–China rivalry all point toward a fragile balance — one that could easily tip into open confrontation.
While no major world power has officially declared war, the lines between peace and conflict are increasingly blurred, leaving global citizens uncertain about what the next decade holds.
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