In a recent TED Explains the World interview, political scientist and Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer looks at two major conflicts that appear to have no clear off-ramp: the war in Iran and the continuing war in Ukraine. The discussion centers on a global landscape shaped by violence, uncertainty and the absence of a visible exit plan.
The description frames the Iran conflict as catastrophic six months into the war, while Ukraine remains locked in a prolonged struggle with no obvious end in sight. Taken together, the two wars highlight how difficult it has become for the international system to move from escalation toward settlement.
Bremmer’s analysis focuses on what these unresolved wars mean for the wider world. When conflicts drag on without a defined path to peace, the risks extend beyond the battlefield, affecting diplomacy, stability and global expectations about how long such crises can last.
The interview presents the current moment as one in which leaders and observers are forced to confront a hard question: what happens when major wars continue, but no workable exit strategy is in view? That tension is at the heart of Bremmer’s breakdown of the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
