Witness Syria, Witness Ukraine

FREDERICK KEMPE*

Does the world really face a new kind of “Cold War” considering the latest developments in the Middle East in addition to the Black Sea and South China Sea tensions?

It isn’t a Cold War but rather a struggle to save the liberal international order that has brought us such security and prosperity since World War II. That order faces threats from violent extremism and some authoritarian leaders who refuse to abide by international norms, the rule of law and respect for individual rights. We are at an inflection point in history as significant as 1918, 1945, and 1989—times when the path forward was uncertain and our ability to unite under a common cause shaped the future, for better or worse. The Atlantic Council’s conviction is that if our like-minded community of nations doesn’t shape the future then we leave the field open for less benevolent actors or chaos. Witness Syria. Witness Ukraine.

*President and CEO, Atlantic Council