Peace Report 2026
Power Politics Drives Global Conflicts
- von Dr. Jannis Saalfeld
- 08.06.2026
Unlimited power politics and unrestrained violence are shaking the international order. Major and middle powers such as the United States, Russia, and Israel, as well as Pakistan, Ethiopia, and the Gulf monarchies, are increasingly pursuing their political objectives through military means, thereby exacerbating global conflicts. The Peace Report 2026* outlines what can be done to counter the ongoing erosion of the international order. The report was presented today (8 June) at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin by Germany’s leading peace research institutes, including the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) at the University of Duisburg-Essen. The report is available in German only.
In global politics, international law is increasingly being sidelined. The peace researchers argue that heads of state such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are acting as new warlords who disregard international rules and wage wars to advance personal interests. In doing so, they unleash dynamics of violence exemplified by Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine and the U.S.-Israeli intervention in Iran.
In view of this alarming situation, the four peace research institutes call for safeguarding the capacity of the United Nations to act. The German government and its European partners should firmly reject parallel structures such as Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” and consistently condemn violations of international law – even when committed by allies such as the United States.
International development cooperation and humanitarian assistance are facing drastic funding cuts. The consequences are examined in the chapter “Sustainable Peace,” coordinated by INEF. “For example, the near dismantling of the U.S. development agency USAID in 2025 has significantly set back the global fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDS, polio, and malaria,” explains Professor Tobias Debiel, Deputy Director of INEF. At the same time, the researchers observe that global development cooperation had already entered a period of crisis before Donald Trump’s second term in office. To strategically reorient German and European development cooperation, they recommend, among other measures, pooling financial resources and expertise more strongly at the EU level.
The chapter “Sustainable Peace” also highlights the peacebuilding role of development cooperation, noting its contribution to reconciliation processes and post-conflict reconstruction. At the same time, the researchers criticize the insufficient attention currently being paid to conflict prevention. They call on the German government to strengthen peace-oriented development cooperation and ensure stable financing for humanitarian assistance. “Development cooperation can serve as an effective counterweight to the spread of power politics if it consistently focuses on inclusiveness, human rights, and peacebuilding,” says Professor Debiel.
* The Peace Report is a joint yearbook of Germany’s four leading peace and conflict research institutes: the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt – Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research (PRIF), and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH). The report analyzes current violent conflicts, identifies trends in international foreign, security, and development policy, and provides policy recommendations.
Image: The editors of the Peace Report, from left to right: Prof. Dr Ursula Schröder, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH); Prof. Dr Nicole Deitelhoff, PRIF – Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research; Prof. Dr Conrad Schetter, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (bicc), Prof. Dr Tobias Debiel, Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) at the University of Duisburg-Essen
Further information:
https://www.friedensgutachten.de/en
Prof. Dr. Tobias Debiel, Institute for Development and Peace (INEF), +49 203 379-2021, tobias.debiel@uni-due.de
Editor: Dr. Jannis Saalfeld, INEF, jannis.saalfeld@uni-due.de