Is Russia's Attack on Ukraine Changing the World Order?
Despite Russia's military build-up on the Ukrainian border, it was thought that due to the spirit of the time, it would not carry out such a comprehensive military operation. After all, the heat of war had not been experienced between states for quite some time. In the problems experienced, either proxies were used, or the states were agreeing with each other to stay away from war. By entering Ukraine not only from the Donetsk region, but also from the north and south, Russia started an all-out war and changed this order. Civilians began to bomb everywhere and attack from all sides in front of the eyes of the whole world, regardless of soldiers. As in Crimea and Georgia, it turned a regional conflict into a conflict between two states. In order to weigh the strength of both himself and the opposing group, Ukraine was the perfect fit. By showing that he was different and stronger than before, he started to use his power with all his strength and to show it to the whole world, with the thought that he could change the order of the world. Against this reality, economic, political, cultural and sports embargoes came into play, but it seems that these do not mean much for Russia. It seems that it will continue these attacks by increasing its violence as long as it does not see hard power against hard power and as long as it has enough power. Testing the patience of the world, Russia's effort to change the world order with weapons shows that it has not learned its lessons from the recent past.
In 1945, the nations saw how devastating the two major world wars were for all warring parties, and they understood that they needed to unite. This unity, which could not fulfill its function as a society and could not prevent the second part of the world war, was reincarnated under the name of the United Nations (UN). It was thought that peace would be achieved with the permanent membership of those who emerged victorious from the world wars in the Security Council. All components that could provide the order of the world, including the USA, were included in this organization. Although this new order prevented a hot war between 1945-1991, it caused the imperial elders, who saw their gains as insufficient, to fight each other in a cold way.
Beginning in the 1990s, the Soviets saw that their troops could no longer continue, and they dispersed. All the states that emerged as a result of this disintegration thought that they had gained their freedom and independence. However, they could only be free and independent as long as Russia, the continuing state of the Union of Socialist Republics, allowed it. Until Russia regained its strength, those on the European side joined the western alliance and sort of freed themselves from Russian hegemony. Those who are geographically and politically close to Russia failed to realize this dream.
States that agreed on the fight against terrorism in the early 2000s fought together against terrorism and terrorist groups in the first decade. In the second decade, through the Arab Spring and the Syrian crisis, there was a period of “cold peace” in which states started to fight with their proxies, not directly with each other. The biggest mistake made by states during this period was to use terror and terrorists for their own interests. There was peace between states, but it was not warm. The world, which could not turn peace into heat, could not prevent the war from being hot again. Thus, with the start of the Ukraine war, the world faced the heat of the war, without even experiencing the cold of the war, in the third decade of the 21st century.
In short, Russia, which is not satisfied with the world order, is trying to change this order with its hard power. He is also aware that he has almost the whole world in front of him. Knowing that he will be isolated from the world with all its political, humanitarian, legal, economic, sportive and cultural elements and will be left alone, we will see if he can change this order with his hard power alone.
