Is а Multipolar World Possible аfter February 24 аnd is There a Place for the EU in It?

Abstract

The present article focuses on the question is a multipolar world possible after 24 February 2022 and what is the place of the EU in this world. The system of international relations established after the Second World War is undergoing its most serious revision with the beginning of Russia’s military actions against Ukraine. The declarative political requests of Russia, China and the countries around them after 24 February 2022 were transformed into real actions, including military ones, which show the ambition and capabilities of these countries to cause discussion about and effect changes in the existing system of international relations. The EU faces serious challenge – will it be able to assert its role as a political pole in a multipolar world. This role implies that the EU consolidates, reforms and extends the scope of the multilateral approach through which it operates to new areas, so that it can help Europeans realize their interests on the global stage and contribute to a more stable multipolar order, maintaining its openness by adherence to cooperation and accepted rules. Therefore, the EU must become a political union with common economic visions and procedures, which will determine whether the EU is part of the forming poles or will have an independent weight. At the same time, the question arises of whether we are ready for a multipolar currency world. The analysis leads to the following conclusions: 1) a multipolar world is possible; 2) the challenge is that the process of forming multipolarity in international relations does not lead to antagonism and fragmentation, but to strengthening the processes of unification and integration; 3) the world is changing rapidly and humanity is entering a new era of deep transformation, which also includes the presence of multipolarity, economic globalization, development of information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the architecture of global governance and world order, as well as increasing interconnectedness and interdependence between countries.

JEL: F5, F51, F68