Distribution of roles: the European Parliament announced a new world order in connection with COVID-19

In connection with the outbreak of coronavirus infection COVID-19, the EU will have to determine its role in the new world order, in which the USA, China and Russia still play the leading role. Such conclusions are contained in the draft report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. The document the text of which was reviewed by RT represents a draft resolution.

Thus, according to the report, the European Parliament regrets the lack of global leadership and coordinated international responses to the initial stages of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the tendency to choose “isolationist solutions”, to conceal critical information and conduct state-coordinated disinformation campaigns, because of which distrust arises and international cooperation is hindered.

“The European Parliament notes the geopolitical rivalry and tensions since the outbreak of COVID-19 and recognizes that the EU still has to determine its role in the new world order, in which the United States, China and Russia play a leading role,” the statement says. document.

The EP committee proposes, in particular, to work on communication strategies, fight misinformation, and also actively support neighboring states, especially the Western Balkans. The report also talks about the need for the EU to strengthen its position in Africa and increase financial support to countries in the region.

In addition, according to the document, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the armed forces are now playing an especially important role.

“The European Parliament recognizes the need to revise the EU’s approach to security and defense, which is necessary for the development of strategic autonomy, as well as to increase preparedness and resilience both in relation to hybrid threats and technologies that alienate hostilities from the usual format, and in the face of the future, which Russia and China act with more decisiveness, ”the document states.

Given the new political balance and the possible deterioration in the international security situation since the outbreak of COVID-19, EU defense budgets are not subject to reduction, the committee on international affairs emphasizes.

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The EU sought to become the center of world politics even before the outbreak of COVID-19, said Andrei Kulikov, head of the research company Europe Insight.

“If this statement is, as it were, the beginning or the harbinger of some specific foreign policy decisions, some new programs, then this is a completely different matter. Here another problem arises - it is not the European Parliament that determines the course, but the European Commission, and therefore the statements of the European deputies do not yet mean that some of their wishes will turn into concrete political measures of the EU and the EC, ”he emphasized in a conversation with RT expert.

Concern over the actions of other states

Meanwhile, the Committee of the European Parliament expressed their concern that the United States did not show enough leadership in the fight against COVID-19. In addition, the country's withdrawal from WHO and other international organizations is also of concern to the EU. However, as indicated in the document, the European Parliament recognizes the need to seek new forms of cooperation between the EU and the United States, based on mutual respect.

According to a corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences, political scientist Sergei Sudakov, such conclusions by European deputies regarding US leadership are absolutely logical, since Washington has been opposing a number of world organizations for years.

“The United States has ceased to act according to the rules, and the international system and law have become for America just a sound. As a result, we are witnessing the fact that the United States taught the whole world to play according to new principles: each for itself. It was the United States that entered the path of war with world organizations. They did not like UNESCO at the time - they left it. Then they did not like participating in the International Criminal Court - they left it. Now the World Health Organization is also not happy with them, ”said the expert.

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China, according to European parliamentarians, after the outbreak of COVID-19 sent diplomatic efforts to strengthen its position in the international arena. At the same time, the document accuses Beijing of politicizing its humanitarian aid, as well as hiding information related to the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the EP proposes to conduct a dialogue with Beijing, while at the same time protecting European values.

As Alexei Maslov, head of the HSE School of Oriental Studies, noted in an interview with RT, in fact, a number of Western countries need accusations against China to protect their economic interests.

“In fact, Beijing itself stated that there was too late a warning in China about the development of the epidemic, but, on the other hand, it should be borne in mind that no one, as far back as December, could have guessed the extent or form of the development of the situation, therefore, here to blame them in vain. There is another point here: an anti-Chinese coalition is being actively formed, and the United States is one of its authors. It is very important for the United States that Europe does not support Chinese plans to restore the global economy, since Washington itself wants to take on this function, which is why China is now being blamed on the perimeter. In the near future, such a number of accusations against China will only increase, ”he stressed.

Meanwhile, the document also sounds accusations against Russia. Thus, the European Parliament expresses "concern about the organized efforts of the Russian Federation aimed at undermining EU unity by intensifying disinformation campaigns."

Similar statements were made earlier from Western officials. So, in May, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said that, according to the EC, various “sources from Russia” allegedly spread conspiracy theories and misinformation in the EU countries about the situation with a new type of coronavirus.

At the same time, Moscow has repeatedly denied such allegations. According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, such statements are "not just baseless, but also unacceptable."

A multipolar world is forming

In reality, the world is now becoming more and more multipolar, says Andrei Kulikov, head of the research company Europe Insight.

“The United States is very difficult to compete with China, with Russia and even with the European Union now some friction is increasingly emerging. It can be seen that they make out what they have said many times that this is a multipolar world, and the USA in this world is only one of the centers. To date, each of the players is not just trying to establish itself, but is recognized as such a strong opponent by other players. This is an important difference from the previous stages, when each of the players simply declared that he sees himself like this, but the others simply ignored him, ”he concluded.

The importance of such a world order has been repeatedly stated by Russian officials. As previously emphasized by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the stubborn reluctance of a number of countries to accept the multipolarity of the world leads to increased tension and undermining strategic stability.

“Such a broad cooperation, in an open and free exchange of views, confidence-building and mutual understanding, is urgently needed by the modern world. His global agenda is complex and controversial. It is filled with great challenges and real, not fictitious threats, the answers to which can and will be effective only if the international community realizes these threats, while states strive to discuss and find collective solutions to common difficult problems in a rapidly changing world, ”he emphasized.

The importance of realizing the realities of a multipolar world was also stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to him, the States and their partners are not abandoning attempts to implement a West-centric order, while Russia is pursuing a line to strengthen the legal foundations of interstate communication.

“The United States and a number of its allies, cherishing the hope of maintaining global dominance, continue to rely on methods of military-force and economic pressure, rejecting the realities of a multipolar world, and continue to think in the spirit of archaic logic of containment, dividing lines and zero-sum geopolitical games,” - said Lavrov.