Global implications of the war in Ukraine and challenges for a new security order

The seminar Global implications of the war in Ukraine and challenges for a new security order is organised in the framework of the DigiDem-EU project and belongs to the “Post-war Europe: How can we rebuild our security architecture?” series of workshops co-managed by BIGS (Germany), CIDOB (Spain), Egmont (Belgium), IEP (Germany), Ifri (France), KEW (Poland), oiip (Austria), and SFPA (Slovakia). The year 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the Paris Charter and the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords. In the run-up to these anniversaries, European governments will examine the achievements and failures of the European security architecture and look for solutions to overcome the deep rifts that characterize this architecture.

After having explored the sources of tension between Russia and the West (Vienna), learnt and examined lessons from the Balkans (Bratislava), discussed human security and societal resilience (Berlin),  analysed the war in Ukraine as a game-changer (Paris) and delved into the question of security guarantees for Ukraine and arms control (Brussels), the project conveys in Barcelona to discuss the global implications of the war in Ukraine and the challenges it poses for a new security order.

As the world order is becoming increasingly multipolar and power rivalry dominates international relations, the EU is struggling to challenge Russian and Chinese rhetoric. Moscow and Beijing portray the invasion of Ukraine as an act of self-defence by Russia and claim that unjustified western sanctions have exacerbated global inflation, food supply concerns and geopolitical instability. In fact, in the so-called global south, countries have increasingly been opposed to framing the conflict as a global, rather than a European war. Instead, they approach the conflict from a different perspective that may include pondering the relationship they have with great powers, avoiding engaging in great-power rivalries and demanding to re-write the post 1945 world order by, for example, restructuring of the UN Security Council.

The seminar, held in accordance with Chatham House rules, will address three issues. First, how great powers perceive a potentially new security order in the light of the war in Ukraine; second, what does the crisis of the liberal order mean for the global south, while the west is being accused of holding double standards; and, third, how can the EU build a stronger and equal relation with the global south that helps building a post-war new security order.