Russia-Ukraine War as a Factor of Reformatting of Post-Bipolar International System

Abstract

The article analyses the influence of Russia-Ukrainе war on the post-cold war international system especially the character and specific of the system that appeared since the beginning of the 1990s as well as mutual impact of Russian-Ukrainian war and transformation systemic processes. After the end of the cold war, the international system has created the model of hegemonic bipolar stability with its two basic features. On the one hand, it is a lack of legal foundation on the basis of new power configuration and on the other – the deficit of political will within Western elites concerning the support of peace and liberal values. As a result, the rise of neo-imperialist and revanchist moods in the Russian ruling class transformed into wide-scale war against Ukraine. This war has impact on all structural elements of the international system: balance of power configuration, actor’s hierarchy, degree of homogeneity/heterogeneity and internal regime. Consolidation and stricter self-definition in favor of a certain power center that caused to the change in power potentials within the international system is one of the most visible consequences of Russian invasion. The war doesn’t have direct influence on the actor’s hierarchy in the system as soon as all these changes within hierarchy are the results of more general processes. At the same time, it has created the space for proof and confirmation of major actor’s status. The rise of the degree of heterogeneity and, to a certain extent, increase of ideological confrontation at a civilization level has been one more impact of the war. Also Russia-Ukrainе war has stricken a blow at the system’s internal regime making it less stable and reliable. All above-mentioned consequences caused to multi-dimensional processes within the system. On the one hand, the weak and unstable post-bipolar model has come to its end. And on the other hand, the process of the new model creation based on the new balance of power and interests of major word players has started.