In the three decades since the Cold War, the world achieved unprecedented connectivity across a wide range of dimensions. Transportation routes crisscrossed the planet, and the absence of large-scale wars made them relatively safe. The development of digital technologies created unprecedented opportunities for communication. The globalisation of finance enabled payments and transactions to be carried out in extremely short periods of time. The standardisation of goods and services led to their cheapening and ubiquity. National borders became more permeable, leading to a rapid increase in the movement of people. Connectivity increased in terms of both opportunities and risks. Crises in one region, whether financial or man-made disasters, quickly affected others.
The concept of globalisation became a framework for conceptualizing these processes. Questions were raised about the erosion of the role of nation states, the rise of new actors in international relations (from corporations to criminal networks), and the displacement of the classical balance of power by the practice of multilateral diplomacy.
The last five years have challenged this established paradigm of globalisation. The COVID-19 pandemic was the first powerful blow to connectivity. In a matter of weeks, traditional ties collapsed, and the state reasserted itself as a key player in extreme crises. Connectivity also acquired a new dimension: the role of digital technologies reached a new level.
Before the world had time to recover from the pandemic, a military-political crisis erupted. Local in nature, it also impacted global connectivity. For the first time, an attempt was made to “exclude” the largest country—occupying most of Eurasia and a major economy—from global connections. The attempt was unsuccessful in influencing its target, but it had an impact on the entire system of global relations.
And in 2025, the United States itself led the dismantling of the liberal model of globalisation. Trade wars against both allies and rivals, the overt use of force, the erosion of the principles of free navigation, and the accelerated “sovereignisation” of information systems are just a few of these changes. Bridges built over long periods of time are being blown up or set ablaze one after another.
Is the destruction of global integrity inevitable? How resilient is international connectivity to efforts to disrupt it? What will be the strategies of key players in this new reality? What can be considered optimal for Russia and its partners in the international arena?
These questions are the focus of the programme and set its agenda.