India's G20 Presidency to Coronation of UK's King, global events to watch out for in 2023

The world inched closer to World War 3 in 2022, when Russia started invading Ukraine in February. The year 2022 was filled with several major events. While the people in the US breathed a sigh of relief with the codification of the laws related to same-sex and interracial marriage, the Britons mourned the demise of the longest-serving British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. It will be interesting to take a glance at what lies ahead as we enter 2023. 

From the Coronation of the new British Monarch to major elections around the world, the new year is already packed with several monumental events. While it is not wise to predict the future, one can always brace for what is about to come. So here are some of the major events 2023 has to offer.

Will the Russia-Ukraine war reach a peaceful conclusion? 

While the year 2022 has ended, the fears and horrors of the Russia-Ukraine war are still looming. As the war escalates in a drastic way, it is impossible to say when and how the Russia-Ukraine war will end. When it comes to the prospects of future peace negotiations, Russia has expressed its intention to sit at the negotiation table, however, Ukraine has maintained that it wants “just peace”. As a result of these opposing stances, the prospects of a peaceful end to the war remain at a standstill. While both Kyiv and Moscow are trapped in a static and mutually exhaustive conflict, it is the people on both sides of the border who are suffering due to the prolonged war. The war has caused major power outages in the region making life in winter extremely hard. The sanctions imposed on Russia have led to an energy crisis and inflation in Europe, which will continue to remain a major worry for European leaders until the war reaches its conclusion. 

India holds the G20 Presidency: What to expect

In 2022, India assumed the presidency of the Group of Twenty succeeding Indonesia. While several developments occurred under India’s G20 presidency in 2022, it will be the year 2023, when India will be hosting the world leaders for the next edition of the summit. With the Theme of “One Earth, One Family and One Future”, the finale of the G20 summit will be organised in New Delhi in 2022. At the summit, energy and food security will be one of the major agendas, and delegations from all around the world will get a chance to witness the cultural heritage the country has to offer. 

Turkish Presidential Election

The next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled to be organised in June 2023. However, the Middle Eastern country is currently involved in military tensions with Syria which makes the 2023 elections a very monumental one. The election will either put an end to or consolidate the hold of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which has been in power for around 20 years. The worsening economic crisis and the refugee crisis in which the country is currently engulfed can become a major hindrance for the party to come into power again. Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the President of Turkey in 2018 after serving as the Turkish Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014. As the Turkish government is becoming more and more authoritarian in the midst of the social and economic crisis in the country, it is believed that Erdogan’s aggression against Syria might be the only hope for the Turkish President to save his seat. 

Disney completes 100 years 

The year 2023 will mark 100 years of the Walt Disney Company. The company was founded as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923. To celebrate the milestone, Disney will organise “100 Years of Wonder Celebrations” in all the Disneyland theme parks. The events will commence in January and will be the one-stop destination for Disney fanatics around the world. 

Coronation of King Charles III 

In May 2023, the new British Monarch King Charles III will be crowned the new king. The Coronation ceremony of the British King will be organised at Westminster Abbey. Charles took the throne following the death of his mother and the longest-reigning British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Citing a source from Buckingham Palace, The New York Times reported that the ceremony will be just over an hour and “less extravagant” in comparison to the three-hour-long coronation ceremony of Charles’ late mother.

NATO members to meet in Lithuania amid Russia-Ukraine war

In the month of July, NATO is expected to hold a summit of its 30 member countries in Lithuania. The Summit is scheduled to be held in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius which is just 138 miles away from the Russian border. According to the NYT, the summit will be the largest NATO summit organised in one of the Baltic nations and will cost around 30 million euros. In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war, a NATO summit being organised so close to the Russian borders has the potential to attract the Kremlin's attention. 

These are not the only events that are going to grab many eyeballs in 2023. On one hand while several European countries will witness elections at different levels, on the other the alarming COVID situation is making people across the world anxious. Hence it’ll be interesting to see how the year 2023 will unfold.

Image: AP, PIB