Turbulent world – full of powder kegs, Part I
I have studied many of them in my update articles during this year. Due to my “general framework”, that’s “great power relations”, I define to examine particularly such conflicts and disputes, where great powers are directly or indirectly involved. Outside of my scope are left those crises and disputes, which mainly are of local nature and where interests/influences of great powers can be seen as unimportant.
I chose to my list the following crises, which will be presented in two parts and then the third part will be the summary:
Part I
Ukraine – a proxy war between Russia and NATO & EU
Taiwan & South China Sea – a competition for world hegemon between China and the US
Venezuela crisis – a re-updated Monroe Doctrine by Trump – all great powers involved
Part II
Multidimensional, “forever” drama in the Middle East – all great powers involved
Eurasian chessboard – China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Russia – BRICS and SCO
Korean “forever” crisis – all great powers involved
Part III
World order and polarity issue – Two Camps in the making
It’s burning here and there
Based on my assessment, the following list of significant crises can be found today worldwide. The headline below also reveals something essential about the crisis itself.
Ukraine – a proxy war between Russia and NATO & EU
I have analyzed and commented this crisis tens of times since its start, February 2022: the root causes of this crisis, overall course and many details of the war, losses and possible outcomes.
Now, that up to 2 million Ukrainians troops have been killed/badly wounded so far in this war, which still continues, nothing better is in sight. The west has totally deceived and cheated the Ukrainian people. Recent videos of Military Summary tell the factual situation.
Proxy war features are coming up more and more often, like these videos show:
Russian ‘ZIRCON’ missile wiped out a 50-meter Underground Bunker with UK and Ukrainian Generals
BORZZIKMAN November 16, 2025
RUSSIA Wiped Out a BRITISH Vessel right after LONDON tried to Hijack a MiG-31 Supersonic Interceptor
BORZZIKMAN November 13, 2025
RUSSIA Wiped Out a BRITISH Vessel right after LONDON tried to Hijack a MiG-31 Supersonic Interceptor. It’s worth noting that immediately after the FSB officially announced Britain’s attempt to hijack the MiG-31 along with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, the Russian Defense Ministry showed footage of the launch of one of these missiles at the NATO airbase in Starokostiantyniv, where the F-16 fighters are based. Furthermore, on the night of November 12, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles also rained down on the Odessa region. In particular, in the port city of Reni, independent monitoring services recorded more than 30 powerful explosions.
Some other significant events can be found among those pictures and charts below:
The criminal theft of western tax payers’ money, being carried out by Volodymyr Zelensky and his crew, may up to $ billions. Recent reports that a couple of members of Zelensky’s inner crowd have absconded with $100 million is attracting media attention, and the term money laundering is being tossed about, but this is chicken feed. The Criminal Investigative Service within the Pentagon is currently investigating whistleblower allegations that Zelensky and his crew have stolen/diverted $48 billion dollars in US aid.
The United States is looking for a replacement for Vladimir Zelensky, inviting various members of the Kiev regime to Washington, former Ukrainian prime minister (in 2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov has told. In his opinion, the current corruption scandal involving members of Zelensky’s inner circle is evidence of that.
Ukraine will run short of money to fund its budget as early as February unless the European Union agrees on a reparations loan to Kiev using Russia’s frozen assets, Politico reported. “Ukraine will face a funding crisis as 2025 turns into 2026 and is on course to run out of cash in February unless Belgium lifts its block on an audacious plan to issue a €140 billion reparations loan using immobilized Russian Central Bank assets held in a securities depository based in Brussels,” the edition wrote.
Zelensky Graft Scandal /Larry Johnson & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive November 13, 2025
Daniel Davis: Pokrovsk Has Fallen & the Collapse Accelerates
Glenn Diesen November 6, 2025
Zelensky and Budanov organized an assassination attempt targeting Sergey Shoigu but it failed, November 17, 2025. In Kyiv, the panic is taking over the Zelensky regime in the middle of corruption scandal, five of them have fled abroad, several major break-through impacts along the whole frontline. AFU is near to collapse, hudnreds of AFU soldiers surrendering, thousands deserting, Russian troops are advancing rapidly along the frontline. The US and Russia, behind the scenes, are talking about possible peace in Ukraine, based on Alaska Summit.
It seems more and more such that “Ukrainian house of cards” will collapse and the Russian special military operation in Ukraine is ending much sooner anybody could anticipate. The arrangement by the US and Russia is emerging but Ukraine and the EU & the UK have been left aside.
Mass Strike on Western Ukraine💥Rats in Panic⏳Severk is About to Fall🚩Military Summary 2025.11.19
The Ship Has Sunk – The First Five Have Already Fled🏃♂️🛳️Massive Strike💥Military Summary 19.11.2025
Taiwan & South China Sea – a competition for world hegemon between China and the US
I have studied this topic both in particular articles and as a part of the big picture.
September 24, 2022 Short updating of Taiwan case, late September 2022
August 23, 2022 Taiwan case, updated Big Picture
November 11, 2021 Taiwan case in the Pacific context
These articles give more detailed information about this topic, its background, root causes, development over the years as well as up-to-date situation.
Tension has been escalating around Taiwan and the US Navy’s FONOPS (freedom of navigation operations), where also NATO’s Navies have been taking part, further increase tension. China has organized numerous military drills around Taiwan. China considers Taiwan to be its own province, which will be reunited with the mainland by 2049, when the modern China will be one hundred years old.
Why China and the US are so obsessed with Taiwan | Mapped Out
DW News August 31, 2022
The US-China superpower rivalry is on full display in Taiwan. Beijing wants control of the island and is willing to use force to get it. Washington has been ambiguous about how it would respond but is expanding its military presence in the region. Taiwan is at the center of the US first island chain strategy to contain China. A standoff seems almost unavoidable. But what factors give the tiny island such an outsize importance for both superpowers? And why is neither side backing down? We speak to foreign policy experts Victor Gao (Center for China and Globalization) and David Sacks (Council on Foreign Relations) and find out what people in Taiwan think of the tensions.
China’s Taiwan Plan, It’s Not What You Think
Thinkers Forum October 11, 2025
In this video, Louis-Vincent Gave analyzes China’s approach to the Taiwan issue from a perspective rarely discussed, revealing subtle details that often go unnoticed.
Is Taiwan preparing for a full-blown war with China with multi-layered air defence system ‘T-Dome’?
ANI News October 10, 2025
EXPOSED: Xi’s ULTIMATE move to destroy the West | Battle Plans
The Sun October 7, 2025
Taiwan is gearing up to deploy their “Porcupine Strategy” to defend themselves from a looming Chinese invasion. In the latest episode of Battle Plans Exposed, military intelligence expert Philip Ingram MBE breaks down this unique tactic and details how China could react. Xi Jinping has been adamant that Beijing should control Taiwan and he has refused to shy away from the idea of forcefully taking over the self-governing island. But Taiwan remains a key player in the global trade market and is seen as an ally of the US – meaning any attack could have major implications. Ingram believes that the taking of Taiwan would leave the world on the brink of World War Three due to how Washington responds. In this episode, Ingram shows how there are three critical defensive tactics Taiwan have been learning to deploy to fend off China’s Army.
Referring to Taiwan Strait, parallel and similar “cat and mouse game” (see FONOPS above) is underway on South China Sea between the Navies of China and the Philippines, in which the US is strongly supporting Philippines ships. The Navies of Japan and Australia have also taken part in some operations.
Recently, Japanese new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi claimed at a Diet meeting on November 7 that the Chinese mainland’s “use of force on Taiwan” could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. She refused to retract her remarks which imply the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait.
Takaichi’s recent remarks on Taiwan and her refusal to retract her erroneous statements after the incident, have triggered strong protest and stern warnings from several Chinese ministries and government agencies showing what the Japanese media termed an “intensified stance” toward the country.
Multiple Chinese ministries and government agencies have condemned the Japanese side’s related moves and remarks, warning that Japan would face a resolute response if it dared to meddle in the Taiwan question. PM Takaichi’s erroneous and hostile remarks on China have raised global alarm that she is leading Japan on a course to reviving its notorious militarist past.
Venezuela crisis – a re-updated Monroe Doctrine by Trump – all great powers involved
I have written recently two articles on this topic:
November 8, 2025 Military deterrence works – the US postponing the decision to invade Venezuela?
November 2, 2025 Great power competition in Venezuela
Now, we can focus on just the latest development. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and other senior officials have briefed the president on military options for the coming days, but “No final decision has been made, however. The development comes amid fresh reports of yet another alleged drug boat strike in the Caribbean Sea, bringing the total number of vessels destroyed to at least 22, which has killed some 80 or more suspected drug smugglers.
Recent reporting highlights a sustained US military buildup across the Caribbean, coinciding with briefings to President Trump in which senior Pentagon officials outlined potential operational scenarios against Venezuela. This activity has raised questions among observers about regime change operations. The scale and posture of US forces have prompted speculation that this buildout might not just be about dismantling command and control structures of narco-terrorist networks.
One potential cause for the US military buildup is linking Venezuelan cartels and Iranian-backed groups (like Hezbollah). On a small Venezuelan island (Isla de Margarita), Iranian-backed terrorist groups Hezbollah has conducted terror training for recruits from Venezuela and other Latin American countries. Hezbollah operatives and their co-conspirators hold some positions in the Venezuelan Government. They provide travel documents, weapons, and logistics support to terrorist operations and cocaine smugglers.
The US military operation, Southern Spear, is not a counternarcotics operation. It seems to be the operational birth of Monroe Doctrine 2.0, the militarized hinge on which the American Pole swings. The drug war rhetoric is a mask for hemispheric recolonization. With Southern Spear, the US empire has chosen its weapon to speak and it has announced to the Western hemisphere that if it cannot rule the whole world, it will attempt to rule its backyard by force. The US Navy’s arrival in the Caribbean intensifies Trump’s confrontation with Venezuela, raising the specter of strikes. Meanwhile, Beijing and Moscow respond with strategic support for Caracas, underscoring the region’s multipolar turn — Latin America watches a high-risk gamble unfold.
Thus far, Moscow and Beijing have responded with rhetorical firmness but calibrated restraint. However, wide range of warning signs are emerging abound. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in turn, recently said that the Kremlin is “ready to act within the framework of the obligations that were mutually stipulated in this agreement with our Venezuelan friends.”
Beijing in turn has escalated its support by unveiling a new “zero-tariff” trade deal with Caracas during the Shanghai Expo 2025, an agreement announced by Venezuela’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade. For Beijing, it provides a commercial and strategic entry point into the Western Hemisphere at the very moment Washington is tightening its sanctions amid tensions.
If strikes destabilize Venezuelan oil fields, global supply could tighten overnight, driving prices upward. This would erode the foundations of Trump’s domestic economic message, not to mention it would create headaches for US energy companies operating in the region. The standoff in any case is a sovereignty crisis for Caracas but also an opportunity for Russia and China in the context of the New Cold War. Moreover, it is a unity test for Latin America — and a high-risk gamble for the US.
Preparations and buildups
Much has been happening in military affairs inside and outside Venezuela, here some videos talking about these measures.
Venezuela’s Massive Military Drill: 200,000 Troops Deployed Against US ‘Intimidation’ in Caribbean
APT November 12, 2025
Venezuela has launched a new phase of “Plan Independencia 200,” deploying 200,000 troops alongside air and naval forces. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced the operation amid rising tensions with the United States over recent military activities in the Caribbean. Caracas has condemned US actions as “intimidation” and vowed to defend regional sovereignty and stability.
The US War Department has begun sending conventional ground forces to Panama for training in jungle warfare for the first time in more than two decades, ABC News reported.
News of the training in Panama comes amid a major US military buildup in the Caribbean and a push toward a potential war with Venezuela, a country with vast jungles. A US military official told ABC that the training in Panama is not intended to prepare troops for a potential mission in Venezuela, but President Trump has reportedly been reviewing options for attacking the country.
While the US hasn’t sent enough forces to the Caribbean for a full-scale invasion of Venezuela, US military planners reportedly do believe it has a sufficient force to seize strategic ports and airfields in Venezuela.
According to a report from The New York Times, one of the options presented to President Trump would involve sending troops to capture airfields or oil infrastructure inside the country. The ABC report said that US soldiers and Marines are participating in a three-week training course once called “Green Hell” due to the similarities to combat in Vietnam at the Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly known as Fort Sherman.
Russia has delivered wide-range assortment of weapons to Venezuela, China and Iran as well.
U.S. Shocked! Russia’s S-400 Triumf Plans for Venezuela Explained
ASY REHE November 8, 2025
Iskander in Venezuela – How close is it to the US?
November 11, 2025
HYPERSONIC MISSILES FOR VENEZUELA? Russia vs. US in Caribbean Showdown + Colombia Resists
MintPress News November 6, 2025
Russia Sends Rubicon Drone Experts to Venezuela — as U.S. Deploys Supercarrier & B-52H”
ASY REHE November 19, 2025
Epilogue
As stated in my previous update two types of factors may refrain the US from a large-scale invasion.
On the other hand, these three crises appear to be affiliated and interconnected in many visible and invisible ways. All the three great powers are deeply involved in all these processes.
A key issue is the wide-range, deep, intensive and ever-expanding cooperation between China and Russia, which clearly and openly play together against the US.
China has grown as a primus-motor in economic, technical and military development worldwide having today the largest military forces in the world and the strongest economy. Within the framework of military cooperation, Chinese military leaders and high-ranking officers are studying the latest experiences from the war in Ukraine and modern warfare at Russian military academies. These new doctrines, concepts and lessons are rapidly utilized by the Chinese military in crisis theaters like Taiwan and Venezuela.
Another striking change can be found in the overall behavior of the Chinese military, earlier they have been publicly quite cautious and reserved but nowadays they do not hide their power, pride and self-confidence.
The US, under Trump, is unapologetically an empire operating without pretense. International law is for losers. A newly minted War Department, deploying the most lethal killing machine in world, need not hide behind the sham of promoting democracy. As CEO of the western capitalist bloc, Trump’s mission is not about to be restrained by respect for sovereignty. There is only one inviolate global sovereign; all others are subalterns.
Now, Russia with its new national image that the lost greatness has been re-taken back and President Putin can choose with whom he is talking, he prefers “the equals” (Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi). Robustly growing economy, military strength, biggest nuclear armament, new high-tech weapons (hypersonic missiles, EW, ASAT, robotics etc.) further strengthen Russia’s position in the triangle-game of great powers.
Europe has been left as a vassal and all the marks indicate that the EU and the European NATO will disintegrate in not-so-distant future.
I continue analyzing other crises of today in the article series and finally will summarize the findings formulating the current situation regarding “world order and polarity”.