Philosopher Warns Taiwan Conflict Could Eclipse Ukraine War

Julian Nida-Rümelin, a German philosopher, warns that a potential conflict over Taiwan could surpass the Ukraine war in scale. In an essay titled 'Man wird jetzt wieder träumen müssen' published in early 2026, he describes the current era as one of the most dangerous passages in human history. He advocates for a second Peace of Westphalia—a peace of the exhausted, based on mutual recognition rather than missionary zeal. Nida-Rümelin is among the few intellectuals who have consistently called for diplomacy over rearmament since the start of the Ukraine war, facing backlash for his stance. He made these remarks in an interview with Jakob Augstein for the 'Freitag-Salon' at the Berliner Renaissance-Theater.