Impact of Russia s invasion of Ukraine on the Change in the Balance of Power in the International System

From a historical perspective, the balance of power has been one of the most important issues in the international system. Efforts to maintain or change this balance have traditionally been undertaken by great powers or groups of great powers, often triggering significant international events. In this context, Russia's invasion of Ukraine—which has sparked a global confrontation—represents one of the most important geopolitical developments of the twenty-first century. The purpose of this article is to explain the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the international system. Aside from a limited number of studies that anticipated such changes, this topic has received little systematic attention. The article uses a causal approach, combining library-based data and empirical observations. The findings indicate that Russia, China, and their allies, on one side, and Europe and the United States, on the other, have strengthened their alliances and are moving toward a bipolar or multipolar system. Although it is clear that the unipolar system is declining, it remains uncertain whether the emerging system will be bipolar or multipolar. Because changes in the international system directly affect the capabilities of states, this research is important for informing effective foreign policy decisions during the current transition from unipolarity to multipolarity.