The current international system is often referred to as ‘post-Western, ‘multipolar’ or ‘moving eastward’. The conflict in Ukraine is presented as a battle between a ‘rules-based international order’ and nation-states that have revised it. Sovereignty does not guarantee that states will not conduct war against each other; it is designed simply to regulate how wars are fought. Redefining modernity does not mean moving away from sovereignty or rights; it also does not mean romanticising alternatives. Until thistension is acknowledged, the international order will remain both functional and broken.

Source: The Telegraph January 22, 2026 02:21 UTC