World Leaders Must Make Real Progress at COP31: Our Shared Future Depends on It

Voters across the United States, Israel, and Europe rejected war in recent elections, viewing diplomacy as safer and cheaper than military conflict. Democrats and Republicans should pursue negotiated settlements in Ukraine and the Middle East while reasserting congressional authority over war decisions.

Brazilian President Lula’s reelection victory defied expectations and briefly reversed a global rightward political trend, but experts warn that far-right movements will persist unless democracies address underlying voter discontent with their inability to solve major crises like climate change and economic inequality.

Pro-Palestinian candidates achieved significant electoral victories despite major spending by pro-Israel groups, signaling a major shift in American politics away from traditional bipartisan support for Israel following the Gaza war.

Republicans lost the US midterms because Trump’s Iran policy drove up inflation and gasoline prices, hurting ordinary Americans’ wallets. Similarly, European voters are turning against mainstream parties due to economic costs from the Ukraine war, signaling that foreign policy must serve citizens’ core interests or face electoral punishment.

Sudan’s escalating conflict is interconnected with wars in Yemen and around Iran through weapons smuggling, foreign military support, and competition for Red Sea ports, creating a regional war economy that devastates civilian populations across multiple countries.

President Trump, now in a second lame-duck period, may pursue aggressive foreign policy actions unconstrained by Congress, particularly against Iran and Cuba, as domestic political pressures and lack of electoral considerations leave him free to act without the restraint shown by previous lame-duck presidents.