The Year Ahead 2025

Even If the Wars End, the World Will Pay

A bad peace would compound the already high cost of deterring future aggression.

Illustration: Daniel Zender for Bloomberg Businessweek

The election of Donald Trump could make 2025 a pivotal year for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, given that the president-to-be of the world’s leading superpower has pledged to put an end to both.

Even if he succeeds, though, the economic consequences of these conflicts will be long-lasting, and his dealmaking won’t necessarily make them better.