Coronavirus as a Factor in World Politics
The article is dedicated to the impact of corona virus COVID-19 on international relations. The state of affairs in world politics before and after the start of the epidemic is explored. The author describes the reaction of different countries to the crisis, the instrumentalization of the pandemic for political purposes. The attention is drawn to the situation in the sphere of freedom of movement and to the role of a nation-state. The author looks into ideological and geopolitical dimensions of the pandemic. One of the conclusions concerns the risks of heightened rivalry among major powers. It is demonstrated that the crisis is being used for anti-Russia propaganda. Also in the focus of the research are interpretations of USA - China competition by the Western expert community in light of the pandemic. The author poses a question about the ability of political leaders to use the current situation for deconfliction and collective actions.