Hans Scheurer

The West Is Running Out of Time The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, has published an important article, “The West’s Last Chance,” arguing that the post–World War II order — built on cooperation, rules, and shared values — is breaking down. Wars are multiplying, alliances are fracturing, and rising powers across the global South are reshaping the geopolitical landscape. This may be the West’s last chance to rebuild an international order that protects freedom, stability, and smaller nations like Ukraine. If the West fails, the alternative is a world governed by raw power — where aggression goes unpunished and borders mean nothing. Key Points: 1. The old world order is collapsing. The rules-based system that kept global peace for decades is unraveling under the pressure of wars, authoritarianism, and great-power competition. 2. A fragmented, multipolar world is emerging. Influence is shifting to regional and “middle” powers — from India and Brazil to Turkey and Saudi Arabia — who no longer accept a Western-led system. 3. Global conflict is rising because institutions are failing. The UN, EU, WTO, and other bodies lack the cohesion, authority, or legitimacy to stop aggression or resolve crises. 4. The West is dangerously divided. Political polarization, inconsistent leadership, and short-term thinking weaken the ability of democracies to respond to global threats. 5. The global South feels ignored — and is choosing its own path. Many countries believe the old system served Western interests, not theirs, and are now shaping alternative alliances and norms. 6. If the West does nothing, “might makes right” becomes the new global law. A world where russia can invade neighbors, China redraws borders, and small countries lose basic security guarantees. 7. The West still has a narrow window to act. Not to restore the old world, but to build a new one — inclusive, modernized, and capable of protecting sovereignty and stability. 8. The solution is renewed, reformed multilateralism. Western democracies must modernize global institutions, bring rising powers into decision-making, and rebuild trust in shared rules. 9. Leadership matters: hesitation is fatal. Without coordinated Western leadership, authoritarian regimes will reshape the global order in their image. 10. The stakes are existential for countries like Ukraine. If the world shifts to a system where aggression is rewarded and sovereignty becomes negotiable, Ukraine will be the first — not the last — victim. Source: Foreign Affairs