New Russia-West Confrontation: War of Attrition or Escalation?

Konstantin Khudoley
Konstantin Khudoley is Professor and Head of the European Studies Department at the School of International Relations, St. Petersburg University, Russia. Views expressed are personal. read more
Volume:46
Issue:6
Articles

The article analyses the ongoing Russia-West confrontation manifested mainly in the armed conflict in Ukraine, the world’s largest war of sanctions, a growing confrontation in cyberspace and politics, the erosion of the system of arms control treaties and a sharp reduction of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Russia and the West are fighting not only for influence in Ukraine but also over the future of international relations on a global scale in the coming decades. The most plausible development seems to be a war of attrition, which, however, does not rule out the risk of escalation.