Ukraine and the new World Order

Ukraine has been betrayed not only by its own rulers and Russia but by the world community and global institutions like the United Nations.It’s own rulers misread the reaction of Russia and its current rulers to moves to draw closer to the West. They moved aggressively towards joining the European Union, to be followed perhaps by association with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO. Ukraine’s leaders including the President misread Russian response to the emerging scenario, where NATO will almost move to Russian borders.

The Russian response was perhaps more direct and thorough going than what the Ukrainian leaders expected. Russia launched an open war, attacking all parts of Ukraine, with the focus on the north eastern areas, with a large number of Russian speaking people. But with the western powers coming to the aid of the Ukrainian government, in terms of weapons and armaments, Moscow has been unable to bring closure to the invasion swiftly. There is a real possibility of the invasion becoming a war of attrition. This would dent Russia’s role in world affairs in the long run. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has dealt a body blow to the concept of a rule and equity based world order. The United Nations, created in the aftermath of the Second World War, has shown, once more, its ineffectiveness, where any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council is involved.

Apart from the failure of the United Nations to stop the war, what has been remarkable is the muted response of the world community. The so-called non aligned movement has been conspicuous by its silence on the emerging scenario. A frightening situation has emerged. The Russian action, and the lack of any effective response from the world community, has made clearer than ever before the collapse of a rule and equity based international order. If a nuclear power attacks another country, no other nation or world institution is going to come to its aid effectively. At the most, the victim nation will get some words of sympathy or economic aid. Might is right appears to be guiding principle of the new world order. It will have an impact on developments in many areas of the world with fault lines like Taiwan.
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