Faculty seminar events, regularly organized under the leadership of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, continue. This week's speaker for the seminars was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akif Bahadır Kaynak from the International Relations Department of Altınbaş Üniversitesi Faculty of Economics, Administrative, and Social Sciences. Kaynak delivered a presentation titled “The Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on the International Balance of Power.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences continues its faculty seminars with different topics and participants. This week, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akif Bahadır Kaynak delivered a presentation titled “The Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War on the International Balance of Power” at the South Campus Socrates Hall.
Starting his presentation by outlining the general panorama of the bipolar world order during the Cold War era, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaynak stated that despite ideological polarizations being prioritized during the Cold War, internal bloc discussions occurred, with each country pursuing its geopolitical interests. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaynak mentioned that although the Cold War period concluded with the victory of the Western alliance and capitalism, it also led to the desgaste of both poles. Continuing his speech, Kaynak touched upon the history of Ukraine, reminding that the country declared its independence in 1991, experienced the Orange Revolution in 2005, and that the Crimea and Donbas regions were occupied by Russia in 2014. In his analyses regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in 2022, Kaynak stated that this war primarily affected Russia-EU relations and brought NATO's expansion with the memberships of Sweden and Finland to the agenda.
In his evaluations of the geopolitical effects of the war, Kaynak pointed out that the balance of power could change to create new Cold War dynamics, and that the probability of increasing tension between Russia and the West remains strong. Kaynak concluded his presentation by stating that if Ukraine's recent counter-offensives prove successful, a change in government in Russia could occur, and the possibility of a government coming to power that would establish good relations with Europe could also be considered.
The seminar concluded with a Q&A session for the audience.