... At the time, an impending rupture was in the air, but to many it seemed unlikely. The reality of the thirty years since the end of the Cold War—the reality of peaceful life, openness and cooperation—had become too familiar. In relations with the West, it began to wind down long before 2021.
Cracks began to appear in the late 1990s, and since 2014 the rupture has become increasingly irreversible. But as it often happens, it is difficult to believe in the possibility of big changes precisely because ...
... and this will certainly have important repercussions for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
***
A more accurate definition of China’s positioning in the Russia–Ukraine conflict is
constructive intervention rather than neutrality. Unlike the US and the West, China’s policy is not based on choosing a side, but oriented toward constructive results.
At this stage, China’s understanding of constructiveness can be summarized in the
twelve-point proposition of the Ukraine peace plan it proposed in February ...
... later, will have come full circle. Russia is not a bystander, but part of the action, pushing for change
The war in Ukraine, which to most Russians—and not just the Kremlin—is a direct, if not yet a kinetic military conflict with the American-led West, has been reshaping Russia massively from within. The economy, faced with the most severe sanctions so far imposed on any country, is not only seeking ways to go around the sanctions or substitute for the absence of Western products and technologies,...
..., together with Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), held a round table discussion on relations between Russia and the West in the context of finding ways out of the crisis.
The following issues were discussed: the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on the development of relations between Russia and the West; options for European security architecture in the new conditions; the impact of the conflict on the global context, in particular, the dynamics of the U.S.-China relations, and the impact of the crisis on food security and food supply chains.
Experts ...
... Russia represent almost half of the world's population and this episode once again underlines the new multipolar configuration, the disagreements on the interpretation of international law and the impossibility of isolating Russia despite pressure from Western governments.
The European Union's proposal to sanction[vi] observers from EU member states who have been monitoring these referendums on the ground is an outrageous attempt at intimidation to prevent them from testifying to the reality on the ...
The West's failed Ukraine strategy has empowered the Global Majority to reject US domination
In his recent landmark address to Russia’s parliament, President Vladimir Putin cited the war in Ukraine and US/NATO involvement in the conflict as the main ...
... delegations from Moscow and sign new agreements on cooperation with their business partners from Russia. In sum, the Global South so far has demonstrated a spectacular resilience in its commitment to stay out of the escalating conflict between Russia and the West.
Andrey Kortunov:
A New Western Cohesion and World Order
This persistent resistance to the continuous pressure from the West calls for explanations. One of such explanations is a wide spread perception in the Global South that the Western approach ...
The conflict between Russia and the West is likely to drag on for decades, regardless of how and along exactly what lines the conflict in Ukraine ends
In 1989, the “short 20
th
century” ended with the “end of history”—the victory of the Western capitalist world over the Soviet ...
... West.
At the same time, the West should not be expected to abandon its attempts to put pressure on its Middle Eastern partners to force them to join anti-Russian sanctions. If Middle Eastern states succeed in preserving their pragmatic approach to the Ukrainian crisis, to Russia-West confrontation, and in continuing their multi-vector policies, there will be more chances for a constructive settlement and for a smoother transition to a new architecture of international relations and security. Fostering relations with everyone ...
Summary of talking points
There are quite a few things in common, as well as differences between the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 and the present crisis between Russia and the West.
Aleksey Arbatov:
The Ukrainian Crisis and Strategic Stability
Now it is a crisis engineered by the US at Russia’s doorstep with Moscow holding the advantage of the scene close to its territory. So, now is Russia’s turn to go emotional/ballistic. It is more than a purely ...