Ukraine’s Internal Crisis: Competing Civilizations, Russia & the New Multipolar World Order

Ukraine’s Internal Crisis: Competing Civilizations, Russia & the New Multipolar World Order Professor Nicolai Petro examines the Ukraine war through the lens of competing civilizations, national identities, and the transformation of the global geopolitical order. He argues that the conflict cannot be fully understood through the framework of the Western-led liberal international order, pointing instead to the growing importance of civilizational identity and multipolarity. The discussion explores the deep political and cultural divisions within Ukraine, including competing visions of Ukrainian nation-building, the influence of Western-backed nationalist movements, and the distinct Russo-Ukrainian cultural identities found across different regions of the country. Petro also examines Ukraine’s dependence on Western political and military support, the role of Russia and the BRICS nations in the emerging multipolar world, and the broader geopolitical rivalry surrounding the war. The central question is whether Ukraine can develop a more inclusive national identity capable of reconciling its internal differences—or whether these divisions will continue to make the country a battleground for wider global power struggles. #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Russia #Geopolitics #MultipolarWorld #NewWorldOrder #BRICS #UkrainianIdentity #Nationalism #RussiaUkraine #InternationalRelations #GlobalPolitics #Civilizations #NicolaiPetro #UkraineCrisis