Russia plays role in unraveling old world order

(MENAFN) The concept of an “international order” is rapidly losing its relevance, much like the earlier notion of “multipolarity,” which has strayed far from its original purpose of balancing power among major nations. In today’s geopolitical climate, the established global order is unraveling, and the institutions that once upheld it are either weakening or being redefined.

It’s now common to observe that global power is shifting and that former leading powers can no longer impose their dominance. No single group of nations is capable of enforcing a unified vision of justice or stability across the world. Western Europe, once a key player in global governance, is now seen as a declining force—more focused on process than actual power.

Yet before rushing to declare the end of an era, it’s important to question what “international order” has really meant. Often treated as a neutral or ideal framework, it has historically been a mechanism for powerful states to impose rules on others—rules that served their own strategic interests.

In today’s world, emerging powers like China and India are unlikely to take on the burdens of enforcing a global order that was designed by and for others. For them, investing in such a system offers little practical return. Their focus lies elsewhere, and they may see the global order as outdated or irrelevant.

Another traditional role of international order has been to prevent large-scale upheaval. But now, that stability is largely maintained by the reality of nuclear deterrence. Major nuclear powers—such as the United States, Russia, and China—are enough to prevent full-scale global war. These few nations hold the real power to guarantee a form of peace, regardless of whether international institutions remain effective.

Expecting these new power centers to champion a new global order modeled after the old one is unrealistic. Historically, all global systems, including the one centered around the United Nations, have emerged from conflicts between Western nations. While Russia does not fully align with the West culturally or institutionally, it has played a critical role in shaping global history—especially during and after World War II—and remains central to any future global framework.

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