More than three-fourths of European countries spent more on their militaries in 2023, a report has found, as the world’s most peaceful region fears a possible expansion of Russia’s war on Ukraine
The 18th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), produced by the Australia-based Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), warned on Tuesday the world was at a crossroads, with the global number of conflicts reaching 56, the most since World War II.
Ninety-seven countries deteriorated in peacefulness in 2024, more than any year since the inception of the report in 2008.
Wars have also become more international, with 92 countries involved in conflicts outside their borders, the most since the GPI began recording peacefulness.
“Over the past decade, peacefulness has declined in nine out of the 10 years. We are witnessing a record number of conflicts, a rise in militarisation, and heightened international strategic competition,” said Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of IEP.
“It is imperative for governments and businesses worldwide to intensify their efforts to resolve the many minor conflicts before they escalate into larger crises,” Killelea said.
While Europe is home to seven of the 10 most peaceful countries, 23 out of 36 countries in the region have become less peaceful.
Sweden, which became NATO’s newest member in March fearing a conflict with Russia, experienced the largest drop in Europe. It fell 22 places to rank 39th, its lowest level of peacefulness since 2008.
Globally, eight of the world’s nine regions became less peaceful. Russia and Eurasia was the only region to improve on average over the past year, although both Russia and Ukraine deteriorated.
In other news,he Russia-Ukraine war has led Europe to reassess military spending levels and combat readiness, with 30 of 39 European countries recording a deterioration in this domain over the past year.
“It’s been 80 years since the end of World War II, and the current crises underscore the urgency for world leaders to commit to investing in resolving these conflicts,” said Killelea.
Militarisation increased in 91 countries, reversing the trend of the prior 15 years, the report found, as the growing number of minor conflicts increased the likelihood of major conflicts in the future.
Source-Aljazeera.
