Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman

From kidnapping Venezuela's president to proposing the annexation of Greenland, Trump appears to be the most 'imperialist' leader the US has had in decades

From Yemen and Syria to Sudan and Libya, there is a concerted effort to reassert state authority and thwart moves toward the proliferation of quasi-states and fragmentation

A decisive Syrian military campaign, coupled with diplomatic pressure from Türkiye, the US, and Israel, has forced the SDF into a far-reaching integration deal with Damascus

This could be a decisive year for Beijing as long-running strategies collide with harsher geopolitical realities. The outcomes will shape global power balances well beyond 2026.

Responsibility for the enclave's reconstruction has been placed in the hands of an experienced civil engineer native to Gaza