Washington [US], December 31: While the Gaza Strip has enjoyed temporary peace, the Middle East remains highly unstable, and the Ukraine conflict is "very close to peace" but still presents many challenges. Not to mention the conflicts that have erupted and then temporarily subsided but remain unresolved, so 2025 will end amidst a backdrop of unpredictable tensions.
At the beginning of 2025, Donald Trump officially took office as President of the United States, bringing with him the expectation of quickly ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Peace in Ukraine is near, but it's unclear when.
The reason the world was hoping for peace in Ukraine after the change of leadership in the White House was because Trump had promised to end the war "in 24 hours." Of course, few people at the time believed that the conflict could actually end "in 24 hours," but public opinion placed its faith in the efforts of Washington - which was the main financier of Kyiv in the war.
However, everything fell apart after President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky had a "disastrous" meeting at the White House in February. While tensions between the US and Ukraine eased somewhat afterward, US relations with Europe deteriorated as Washington did not hesitate to criticize and pressure its transatlantic partners. This challenged the trilateral relationship between the US, EU, and Ukraine. After months of negotiations, including a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as high-level phone calls between Trump and Zelensky, peace for Ukraine was recently described by the White House as "very close."
However, challenges remain. An analysis by Eurasia Group (USA), a leading global political risk research and consulting firm, sent to Thanh Nien newspaper , points out that the Ukraine issue still has several difficult points. "This includes the precise nature of any security guarantees the US will provide to Ukraine - President Zelensky said Trump offered 15 years of security. Trump acknowledged that it might take weeks to bridge the gap. Meanwhile, Russia's demands remain unchanged," according to Eurasia Group.
Therefore, a truly effective solution for peace in Ukraine will still take a long time.
Ukraine is not alone ; the situation in the Middle East remains highly unstable. Despite the Gaza peace agreement entering its second phase, the disarmament of Hamas forces still faces significant obstacles. Furthermore, Israel continues to increase military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the situation in Yemen is also turbulent with recent outbreaks of fighting.
Challenges for Northeast Asia
As the final days of 2025 drew to a close, mainland China conducted large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. The exercises were assessed as simulating a military blockade of Taiwan. Specifically, on December 29th, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) deployed warships, fighter jets, and other forces to participate in the "Justice Mission 2025" exercise surrounding Taiwan.
According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, nearly 90 military aircraft, 14 military vessels, and 14 coast guard ships from China were operating around the island on December 29th. The Taiwan issue has also become a source of tension between China and Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. This comes after Takaichi hinted that a conflict in Taiwan could jeopardize national security, prompting Tokyo to intervene.
In fact, in 2025, China increased its military activity from the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands) in the north to the south of the South China Sea. Therefore, the South China Sea experienced a turbulent year with many lurking risks as China repeatedly clashed with the Philippines.
Furthermore, China has recently constructed new facilities likely designed to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. These include directional antenna systems and sensor/communication equipment operating in close proximity or mounted directly on fixed platforms. These assets are believed to resemble mobile electronic warfare systems. These systems also allow the Chinese air force, navy, and missiles to target other countries' aircraft, warships, and possibly submarines operating in the South China Sea more quickly and accurately.
Also in Southeast Asia, tensions erupted into conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. After a ceasefire agreement, tensions between the two countries temporarily subsided before reigniting fighting, only to reach a peace agreement in the final days of 2025. However, this second agreement is only the initial foundation for resolving the disagreements between the two sides.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
