Стр. 6 - V

Author : A. Orlov
Director, Institute for International Studies, Moscow State Institute (University) of International Rela-
tions, Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Russian Federation
THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY of human civilization, the
system of international relations has been moving through rad-
ical changes toward complexity and perfection. Today, we have
arrived at a unified and homogenous system of commonly ac-
cepted norms and rules of behavior approved and recognized
by the absolute majority of states. This system emerged from
fragments each belonging to its own specific historical stage of
social development and related to political, philosophic, cultural,
religious and other distinctive features of countries and regions.
Universalism on the international arena is one of the gains of
mankind, a visual evidence of its maturity achieved through evo-
lution and the calamities of the twentieth century caused by two
world wars. This means that the further deepening and improvement of universalism should
open new vistas of mankind's harmonious development, bring closer countries and nations so
that to jointly address common challenges and threats of global nature.
In recent years, however, we have been watching how certain extremely dangerous trends and
processes were piling up to push mankind in an opposite direction.
The United States that together with the Soviet Union and the UK had set up the UN and for-
mulated its basic criteria and principles did not like it much at the best of times and always looked
at it as a rival on the world arena. Throughout its history, the UN relied on the Security Council's
veto mechanism to contain, as best as it could, America's determination to achieve global dom-
ination. It erected international law obstacles to American expansionism and blocked off Wash-
ington's attempts to suppress the rest of the world.
Having appointed itself the Cold War winner and gotten rid of the Soviet Union, its unignorable
global rival, Washington became especially irritated with the UN.
Russia is being tested by the strategy of "sanctions" introduced to stifle its national economy
and to stir up massive discontent so that to change the regime the West finds unpalatable. Never
before it had acted on the same scale, never before it had challenged countries of that size and
importance. These actions contradict the spirit and principles of the WTO and are fraught with
disintegration of the world trade system as we know it today.
We know from history that at all times the West tried to deprive Russia of that breathing space
and draw it into another confrontation. In fact, this is going on today: I regret to say that thanks
to the efforts of certain forces sport has become part of a multi-component and deeply eche-
loned pressing organized and directed by the most rabid Russophobes in the West.
Universalism in all segments of international relations - politics, economics and sports - is an
Электронное приложение к журналу «Международная жизнь»
An Attack on Universalism in International Relations