A REALIST PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD BEFORE THE WAR IN UKRAINE: WAS THE PANDEMIC AN INHIBITOR OF THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER? Cover Image

A REALIST PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD BEFORE THE WAR IN UKRAINE: WAS THE PANDEMIC AN INHIBITOR OF THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER?
A REALIST PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD BEFORE THE WAR IN UKRAINE: WAS THE PANDEMIC AN INHIBITOR OF THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER?

Author(s): Alexandra Sarcinschi, Cristian Băhnăreanu
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Security and defense, Health and medicine and law, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: Realism; COVID-19 pandemic; state actors; struggle for power; public opinion; medical resources; military and economic power;

Summary/Abstract: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the world to consider an increase in international cooperation to manage this security threat, particularly under the WHO and with the support of the great powers. The surprise was that the WHO was accused of failure and the great powers developed protectionist and nationalist tendencies, with states coming to the fore once again as the most important actors in world politics. In this context, the paper explores a trend that continued to exist even during the pandemic, even though the war in Ukraine was clearly not on the international agenda: namely a continuation of the struggle for power as traditional Realism define it, but with new sources of power to be explored according to the current trends in the security environment: medical resources and a continuing development of military power, despite the economic problems that have arisen.

  • Issue Year: 87/2023
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 7-22
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English