Peace is in retreat: Russia’s war in Ukraine is destabilizing Europe, the war in Gaza is plunging the Middle East into suffering and violence, and the conflict in Sudan has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe. At the same time, the United States—traditionally a global pillar of stability—is failing in this role. President Donald Trump is not only transforming the country into an autocracy; in foreign policy, he favors power politics over rules and cooperation. The 2025 Peace Report highlights why Europe must take responsibility for its own security and defense while continuing to uphold the goal of peace.
Specifically, the 2025 Peace Report recommends the following measures:
- Close the gaps in European defense capabilities
- Deepen European defense integration
- Use arms control to prevent spirals of escalation
- Increase our commitment to the rules-based order
- Respect international courts
- Ban the export of weapons that might be used to violate international humanitarian law
- Develop a refugee policy guided by humanity and fair burden-sharing
- Do not lose sight of the “forgotten conflicts”
- Continue to enhance the effectiveness of civilian tools
With its concrete policy recommendations for the German Bundestag and Federal Government, the Peace Report is a central medium for dialogue between academia, society, and politics. Germany’s peace research institutes (BICC/IFSH/INEF/PRIF) have been publishing the report since 1987.
In our view, the Peace Report is the most important publication of the year in peace and conflict research for policymakers and the public in Germany. For this reason, we are highlighting this and linking to the freely accessible document here.
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