The main purpose of the paper is to answer questions about the evolution of the international security architecture as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the role of the European Union in the (post-)pandemic global relations and competition. The Covid-19 pandemic can reinforce earlier trends of retreat from globalization by weakening international cooperation and increasing the importance of nationalist and populist tendencies. The world may become more and more post-American, or even post-Western, which may actually increase activities of revisionist powers, such as Russia and China, which be willing to take advantage of weaknesses of developed democracies.
The European Union is treated as a new kind of power, whose value is derived from the use of economic and diplomatic instruments (a civilian power), attachment to the values and norms of international law (a normative power) and the limited use of military instruments in the form of Petersberg operations (a limited military power). The EU cannot fully play a significant role in the international arena. The limitations in this respect result from the complex nature of the regulations concerning EU foreign, security and defence policies and the lack of real leadership. Although the European Union is perceived as an economic power, it does not translate its economic strength into political significance in international politics. Taking all limitations into account, two case studies will be discussed: (1) the European Union’s attitude to Russia’s neo-imperial policy; (2) the European Union’s attitude to the strategic rivalry between the USA and China. Both cases will be analysed using the most important theories of international relations.
