Portnikov described the ongoing war as a conflict that will determine the geopolitical “shape of the world.”
“We are dealing with an unusual war, not merely a territorial conflict or [one over] the fate of a single state in Central Europe,” he said.
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“We are facing a conflict that will determine the shape of the world for the next decade.”
Portnikov added that the Soviet Union's defeat in the Cold War paved the way for the development of a unipolar world where democracies protect their interests and help others to join them. Conversely, the defeat of the United States in Vietnam led to the emergence of a bipolar world.
“If Ukraine prevails, we will remain in a unipolar world where democracies assert their dominance,” he continues.
“If the conflict drags on for years, weakening the West and Russia, it will create all the conditions necessary for the rise of a bipolar world. If Ukraine is defeated, its sovereignty destroyed, and international law rendered meaningless, we will live in a multipolar world.”
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In his view, if Russia were to prevail in Ukraine, European societies would be intimidated by Russian triumph and the West's helplessness.
“Voters in these countries will bring to power those who will negotiate with Moscow, to avoid Russian tanks,” Portnikov said.
“This can already be seen in Hungary and Slovakia.”
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Іван Борисенко
