Is Russia's 'Operation' In Ukraine A Threat To USA's Unipolar World?
Writer: Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
Others/World, 24 Feb 2022 12:46 PM GMT
Editor : Ankita Singh |
A literature lover who likes delving deeper into a wide range of societal issues and expresses her opinions about the same. Keeps looking for best-read recommendations while enjoying her coffee and tea.
Creatives : Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
Since the power would not be concentrated to any single point in the world, a multipolar world opens up opportunities for better foreign policy and security choices of all the countries.
The world had not yet coped up entirely with the COVID-19 pandemic and the next big thing happened. Incoming reports of Russia's 'special operations' in the rebel-held Donbas region is the country's signal for a full-scale invasion. On the other hand, the West has condemned the Communist country's actions and put stricter sanctions on its people. Ukrainian President has called upon his Western allies for strategic and military support, and the rest of the world is on its toes regarding the latest developments in the conflict. Many on social media have already called the military escalation the onset of yet another world war that would shape history for centuries to come.
While the condemnation to initiate violence that would result in a bloodbath is rightful, one must stop and think about the West's moral grounds for putting forth harsh words. Time and again, the United States has invaded already war-ridden countries on the pretext of bringing peace and has left it much worse than it initially was.
Currently, we are global citizens of a unipolar world led by the superpower USA. Nobody dares to question the authority of the United States of America because of their military and economic might, be it walking out of the nuclear deal with Iran or threatening to impose sanctions on the allies of its opponents. In such a scenario, Russia's steps towards escalating military conflict might pave the way for a bipolar, or perhaps a multipolar world.
Is Russia's Military Operation Justified?
After the second world war, a Cold war ensued between the US and Russia. The former started bringing together allies against Russia, and thus, the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) came into being. The US continued to pump in money to keep NATO alive and against Russia with time. So far, even though the tensions were rising, forces on the ground relatively kept calm. However, after the Soviet Disintegration, Ukraine became an independent country, but former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych, who never denied his bias towards Russia, came to power.
However, he was ousted after mass street protests after he denied the EU-partnership deal. The Opposition in the country accused him of enriching himself and his family, and a warrant was issued against him for 'mass murder of civilians. As expected, Yanukovych fled to Russia to save his life. Moreover, Russia annexed Crimea to teach Ukraine a lesson for bending towards the EU.
Yet again, Ukraine started allying with the West and allowed weapons from the US and Europe to be stationed in its territory. Thus, threatening Russia once more. The stationing of missiles from the West in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv put Russia in a dangerous target zone. President Vladimir Putin thus started moving his troops towards the border and now has ordered a full-scale military operation in the region. Thus, incurring the wrath of the US, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other western countries.
No Provocation For USA's Afghanistan, Iraq Invasion
On the other hand, when the US had invaded Afghanistan in 2001 without any possible provocation and continued its military invasion in neighbouring Iraq in 2003, NATO and other Western countries remained tight-lipped. The might of the superpower did not let any other country have any say on its' military operations around the world, thus, establishing a unipolar world order. It would not be hard to say that the US succeeded in establishing itself as the most powerful country in the world.
Similarly, going back in history, the European countries colonised most of the world, thus dominating the world in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Therefore, the UK has already proved that geographical area does not determine any country's ability to lead the world.
Therefore, the question arises that if different countries have to come forward to maintain peace in the geopolitical spectrum, which countries should join hands. Russia is already involved with Ukraine and the West in the ongoing conflict, and countries steer clear from Communist China as their leader.
Due to the geographical advantage, would India have to step up to take charge of the diplomatic ship that is currently sailing in troubled waters? While it is still too early to determine who the next world leader would be, one can judge that in the future, smaller countries or developing countries would not get intimidated by the big powers. Therefore, a multipolar world, where a group of countries come forward and work together for the overall development of their people, might be the best choice.
Why Is The Emergence Of A Multipolar World Needed?
The US and China tensions are likely to continue, and the former's relations with Russia would not improve any time soon, even if the military operations on the Ukrainian border stop at this very minute.
China's Belt-Road Initiative (BRI), the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the New Development Bank (previously the BRICS Bank) are clear signs of a shift to a multipolar world, providing alternatives to the Bretton Woods institutions and setting up a competition for influence between the US and China.
Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic's heavy impact on the US has left the rest of the world wondering about the country's preparedness to handle emergencies. A multipolar world is already driving the change regarding industrial production cycles, advancement in medical technology and developing geopolitical relations.
Analysts opine that a multipolar world would provide better stability and development to all the countries collectively. Since the power would not be concentrated to any single point in the world, a multipolar world opens up opportunities for better foreign policy and security choices of all the countries. At the end of the day, the ability of governments to perform best in a multipolar scenario depends on their relative power potential, geo-strategic location, demography and people power, resource base and, above all, the quality of leadership available with them to forge these elements into their foreign policy to sustain their relative autonomy. Multipolarity is what the states make of it.
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