Russia-Ukraine War: Does the global liberal order require disorder?

(This is an opinion article)    

The author is a Senior Associate of The Young Foundation (UK), Teacher and Researcher at The University of Essex (UK), an Associate Fellow (Higher Education Academy, UK) and member of The American Political Science Association, Political Studies Association (UK), The Society for Political Methodology- Cambridge University Press and International Institute for Strategic Studies (UK).

Russia-Ukraine war would perhaps add a new nuanced discourse in America’s strategic alliance with Europe. But it would be a malignant deception for both the USA and Europe to say that the rhetoric of freeriding America’s military by its wealthy allies haven’t impacted and influenced America’s relationship with its European allies. Sino-American drifty relationship was taken rather lightly by its European allies until the pandemic afflicted Europe’s supply chain and her dependency on China. Sometimes the cameras don’t capture the truth and even it gives momentarily escape of the politicians in the eyes of critics. It would be naïve to think that it was just President Trump who criticised NATO members for not increasing their military budget, NATO members were criticised by President Obama too. NATO members had to keep up with their military budget not only to face their adversaries but also to challenge any evil travesty. America, Europe, and their liberal allies have created many global institutions, which provide inextinguishable vitality that is necessary for the vigour and advancement of our civilisation. But today isn’t about the glorification of the liberal institutions but about their self-pity.         

Globalisation has strengthened our bonding and made us interdependent to each other. It would be a farfetched idea to deny such dominion. Why and how European countries like Germany and others have become so dependent on Russia’s gas is not a mystery but a reality. EU, Britain, and the USA have already introduced many sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs. They are going against the whole shebang of Kremlin backed oligarchs. But then again arguable about 45% of the Europe’s gas comes from Russia, paying Kremlin’s regime more than 300 million Euros a day. Those of who visited the Westend of London would understand how Putin and his cronies used tractrices and strategy for years to exploit the greed for Kremlin backed billionaires’ money. Western liberal leaders have already started conversation with Saudi and UAE to increase the gas and oil supply to ease up the fuel price. But isn’t it too little too late?      

Russia-Ukraine war is just another example of President Putin turning a close ally of the NATO and Europe a terrorised ghetto. It is devastating to see so many people have been forced to leave their countries and seek refuge in the neighbouring countries. It is mortifying to have so many innocent children and families are being torn apart from their home and loved ones. We should do everything to help those families and communities. However, a shared sense of injustice is felt among many parts of the international communities including Middle Eastern and BAME communities on the discrimination they have been enduring from the framing, discourse analysis of this war by the media and treatment of Middles-Eastern and African refugees differently than Ukrainian refugees. It is the righteous think to single out that many Western mainstream journalists used controversial and discriminatory words, which is simply reprehensible.       

Populist ideas and populists leaders have been gaining influence all across the world. For far too long, liberal politicians and their supporters thought that liberal order is in good health and needs no rejuvenation. But they were sleepwalking to a disaster. Since the end of Cold War, the liberal West invested considerably less attention and resources to reinvigorate the liberal world order and its institutions and let the greed capture it completely. Trade liberalisation over years has made democratic countries dependent on regimes that don’t uphold democratic and liberal values. But then again, needless to remind that we live in capitalistic globalised world. The economic dominance of China, the military threat exhibited by Russia and the increase of authoritarian regimes demonstrated that liberal order was in decay and far from the finest shape. America and its allies spend far more time on something called “war on terror” instead of revitalising international institutions, reinvigorating its commitment to the liberal order and so on. Russian invasion to Ukraine will perhaps educate the leaders from the Global North to reconsider their position, reinvest in the international institutions and rethink their trading and military agreement.