Are we witnessing a changing world order?

After being pulled into an unprovoked war the like of which not seen in Europe since WWII, Ukrainians are giving Putin a fight that he never expected. His troops are lacking supplies because he had not anticipated the fighting to last this long. The Ukraine resistance has given rise to many legends such as the Ghost of Kyiv, a fighter pilot who may or may not be real, and who may or may not be a woman, and who has shot down six Russian planes. Since the invasion the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has rallied his people by fighting for Kyiv. He has been photographed in military garb on the streets. The sense around the world is that he is not just fighting for his country against Putin but also for democracy against all authoritarian bullies across the world.

In response to this atrocious attack on a sovereign state, the Biden administration has convinced Germany to stop certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, effectively looking to reduce European energy reliance on Russia while also persuading NATO countries to impose SWIFT restrictions on Russia which will result in significant economic consequencies for Russians doing business internationally. These sanctions are not expected to have immediate effects but will result in a hugely weakened Russian economy. The real question remains - will these sanctions be enough to deter Russia and its authoritarian allies such as China from continuing with impunity?

Following the Cold War and the disintegration of the U.S.S.R, a new world order was established that enshrined America as the lone superpower with developed Western nations at its helm. But for some time now, these democracies are losing their sway with authoritarian and nationalistic governments making a foothold around the world. Some of these governments also hold strong geopolitical and economic capital. After decades of being under “America’s thumb”, Russia and China are looking to establish a new world order. And that world order would diverge from the established norms of our liberal democracies, especially around human rights, individual freedoms, and honoring independence of sovereign territories. It would aim to corrupt these noble values and bring in alternative, callous models. This makes the Russian attack on Ukraine even more dangerous.

We are in a very different world than even a decade ago which has ramifications across all aspects of our nation. If we lose this struggle to preserve democracy across the world, not only our freedom and our security but also our prosperity are at peril. The Russian attack on Ukraine is potentially one of those moments like 9/11 that echoes through history. Can the idea of a government by the people, for the people, and of the people survive?