As a Brit in his 80s I have largely lived in peace all my life. Amongst my conclusions after researching for my 2024 book On the Warpath, was that support for war is increased by believing that we live in a dangerous, threatening world, and by increased spending on weapons. Meanwhile the likelihood of war is held in check by a frail body of international law that opposes the philosophy that ‘might is right.’ I also learned that whether potential conflicts lead to war is very uncertain and that conflicts can escalate accidentally and rapidly. How concerned should I be about the continuation of the peace I have known in 2026?