The following is an edited extract from Frank Furedi’s forthcoming book, The Road to Ukraine: How the West Lost its Way, which will be published by De Gruyter on 3 October. Pre-order your copy here.
Almost from the moment Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year, Western governments and commentators seized on the war as an opportunity for revitalising the West. This is why the war was widely proclaimed to be heralding the beginning of a new era – as the ‘crucible of the new world order’.
Among the world leaders to promote this line was German chancellor Olaf Scholz. Back in March, he claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine meant that the world stands in a ‘new era’. He announced an ‘historic shift’ in German…
