The COVID-19 pandemic impact on international relations: key trends

Abstract

У статті проаналізовано деякі аспекти впливу пандемії СOVID-19 на розвиток міжнародних відносин на тлі розгортання все жорсткіших карантинних обмежень у світі. Здійснено аналіз трансформації міжнародних відносин у віртуальному вимірі. Осмислено діяльність загальноєвропейських інститутів, які продемонстрували низьку ефективність в умовах надзвичайної ситуації. Показано, що спалах коронавірусу поставив під питання спроможність адекватного реагування певних міжнародних структур, продемонструвавши слабкості міжнародної системи перед новим глобальним викликом. Розповсюдження COVID-19 показало, що у «глобальному селі» жодна країна не може вважати себе окремою від світу. На основі аналізу змін, що відбуваються у світі, запропоновано прогноз розвитку напрямів системи міжнародних відносин.

In December 2019 a new type of coronavirus infection wasfixed in China. At present, coronavirus cases have been found in most countries. COVID-19 has challenged the global health and economic systems, revealed weak spots in the international relations system. And if the economic consequences of the pandemic are to a greater or lesser extent clear: the world's consumption and production are shrinking, companies, offices and factories are closing, the global transport system, including passenger air transport, are being cut, the political and social consequences of the pandemic are ambiguous. The actuality of the study is dictated by the challenge of new virus spreading in the contemporary world. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated the weak spots in the international relations system and humanity's ill-preparedness to face new challenges and threats. The aim of the article is to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of international relations. To achieve this goal, the author sets the following tasks: to review the key impact trends of coronavirus infection on the world system; to outline possible ways to further develop international relations. Research methods. To achieve the goal defined by the author of the article, a set of basic principles and methods of scientific knowledge was used: system analysis, dialectics and synergetics, comparison, critical analysis. Research results. Fora few months, COVID-19 has changed the lives of millions of people. It is evident that it is not possible to return to the former state of universe after the end of the pandemic. The pandemic has changed all spheres of public life, and the political one is no exception. Skype meetings, online briefings, etc. have become commonplace. The coronavirus failed to stop diplomacy, but it managed to change it. So what will be the universe after a pandemic of coronavirus infection? No one can give a final answer to this question. However, two main ideas can be outlined. Researchers prone to realism say that the crisis caused by the coronavirus, despite its global nature, requires separate government decisions for each country. According to them, the changes taken place over the past few months have proved that prosperous countries do not support weak ones. Only well-developed and centralized states have enough opportunities to respond to the crisis challenge and overcome it quickly. Proponents of this theory believe that the consequence of this crisis will be the collapse of the foundations of the world economy. In other words, nationalization processes will affect globalization causing its decline. In contrast, followers of internationalism believe that the "nation-state" and the principle of national sovereignty will not help solve international problems. Discussion. Proponents of this view hope that multilateralism will finally be replaced by unilateralism in the international arena, and that international relations will replace nationalism. According to them, the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic will make the world think that cooperation is necessary to solve complex problems and prevent global catastrophes. Conclusion. The current configuration of the global world has shown its unviability. Now it looks completely impractical, and sometimes dangerous in the technical sense of the word in the event of new humanitarian, technological or climatic cataclysms. It is obvious that globalization will continue evolving, both in ideological and applicative dimensions. The formation of new ties between people and countries is unlikely to stop in full. But the forms of globalization will undoubtedly change. The issue of finding a new balance between the tasks of national and global development is on the international community’s radar