War in Ukraine. Fighting in Gaza, and across the Middle East. Risky air naval incidents in the South China Sea. Worries about a potential Taiwan conflict. All of it wrapped in visibly growing tensions between China and Russia on the one hand, and the United States and its allies on the other.

So much for the end of history and a lasting peace dividend. Once more, rival geopolitical blocks are maneuvering for advantage, competing directly and through proxies. Once more, economics is playing second fiddle to geopolitics as countries seek to secure their supply chains and ramp up military spending.

Is a war among the great powers possible? Could we be stumbling towards something that looks more like the hot and cold world wars of the 20th century than almost anyone thought possible?

Philip Zelikow is an American diplomat and a scholar with decades of frontline experience, thinking about and working on the great issues of war and peace. Listen as he discusses his fear about our future in this episode of New Thinking for a New World.

Do you think that the United States, China, and Russia are heading towards conflict?