Why the West Failed to Prevent the Second Cold War

Abstract

The article presents a review of the monograph by British political scientist R. Sakwa ‘The Lost Peace. How the West failed to prevent the Second Cold War’. The book raises the question of the causes of the Second Cold War in relations between Russia and the West. As Sakwa notes, the preconditions for this confronta tion were laid back in the late 1980s and 1990s, when the first Cold War ended and the foundations of a new system of international relations were being established. According to the researcher, after the collapse of the socialist camp, the development of world politics could have followed two paths. The first one implied the creation of an international security system based on the provisions of the UN Charter, which in turn required taking into account the interests not only of the West but also of other states. The second model was based on the principle of Western domination, primarily by the USA. This is why the development of international relations in the 1990s and early 2000s followed this path, creating the preconditions for future conflict. Sakwa pays considerable attention to the Ukrainian issue, which has become the main cause of the current crisis. The book analyzes Ukraine’s strategic position, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the interests of the parties involved. At the end of the study, the author shares his predictions about the future of international relations.