Ian Proud Group

Dear all,

Firstly, thank you for following my posts and joining my site. When I started getting active back in March, I frankly had no clear plan for what I wanted to do with this. As the year has gone on, and as the statesmanship vacuum on critical global issues hasn't shifted, I have found an ever increasing list of issues to write about. THANK YOU for being part of that journey.

Really keen to know you all better and hear your thoughts and ideas as we move into 2025.

For my part, I'm sceptical that things will improve under Trump, having been in Moscow the last time he became President. I do think there will be more pressure to end the war as the battlefield realities remain stacked against Ukraine, and the political and economic burden on western nations becomes ever harder to sustain. But how the war ends, if, indeed, it does end, will affect how and if Russia feels able to dial down the pressure. Let's see.

I see no improvement on Israel Gaza under Trump, arguably it could become evan nastier; although Trump will want to hold on to old alliances in the Gulf which have frayed under Biden.

Stoking up a trade war with China won't really help stay the ongoing, but incremental, decline in the appeal of the dollar nor boost American industry. It will more likely embolden China to act in a more muscular way in the South China sea.

We will, foolishly, continue our policy of liberal eugenics in vulnerable countries like Moldova and Georgia, putting them both, literally between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Russia.

BRICS will continue to grow and gain support in the developing world and western policy makers won't wake up from their short-termist daze to see the risk this poses in terms of influence and the fundamental nature of trade and geo-economics.

But apart from that, I'm hoping for a slightly better year in 2025. Here's to the Lionesses in the Women's Euros and to Lewis Hamilton winning Ferrari's long overdue F1 Driver's championship.

And to all of you and your loved ones, may you enjoy a blessed 2025 with a hearty even mix of health and happiness.

Here's an old photo from the archives of me in Russia.