The full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused significant geopolitical changes. New contours of a world divided into a conditional free democratic West and a predominantly authoritarian South have become more expressive and clear. Against the backdrop of global-scale threats, cooperation and coordination have intensified among countries that uphold classical Western values and fundamental principles. At the same time, it has been revealed that within these countries, there are political forces sympathetic to Russia and willing to appease the aggressor. Currently, these forces are concentrated on the extreme left and right flanks of the political system. Despite the vast ideological gap that separates them, right-wing and left-wing populists share very similar views on international politics. Inclined to harshly criticize the West, they simultaneously show leniency and understanding towards authoritarian regimes and Moscow’s motives for aggression. Populists actively undermine the greatness of the West from within and create a window of opportunity for the triumph of authoritarianism worldwide. Ukrainians have become accustomed to the ambiguous statements of former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Russian aggression. However, at the end of August, the information landscape was shaken by far more radical and absurd pronouncements from another potential U.S. presidential candidate from the Republican Party – Vivek Ramaswamy. The young politician openly offered to give a part of Ukraine’s territory to Russian control in exchange for Moscow’s promise to stop relations with Beijing. Ramaswamy also spoke about the refusal to support Ukraine militarily and financially, promised to pay a visit to Putin, lift sanctions and return Russians to world markets. Ramaswamy somehow believes that authoritarian Russia can become a reliable ally of the West. This is a classic mistake made by many Western politicians. Russia has always treated the West with contempt and dreamed of ending the era of dominance of Western civilization in the world. Populist politicians fail to understand that for Russia, the West is a strategic ideological adversary. Putin’s dictatorship, in part, is sustained by actively promoting this image within Russian society. For Moscow, as a colonial empire, cooperation with authoritarian China appears entirely logical and natural. Thanks to this cooperation, the Kremlin also sees a theoretical chance to dismantle the world political system and establish the right of the strong in international relations. It does not matter that in the alliance between Beijing and Moscow, the latter will be a junior partner or a vassal. Another question: under the current conditions, will China allow Russia to at least theoretically pursue an anti-Chinese policy, as Ramaswamy and some populists dream of? Very doubtful. Ramaswamy displayed political opportunism not only regarding Ukraine. His statement about Taiwan shocked many. He suggested that the United States should only protect the island from Chinese invasion until 2028. After that, it might abandon its commitments because by that time, America would have already established its own semiconductor production. The most accurate assessment of Vivek Ramaswamy’s geopolitical fantasies came from Mark Thiessen, an American expert from Fox News and a commentator for The Washington Post: “Like a freshman’s foreign policy term paper. Complete disqualification.” The recent statements by some potential Republican Party presidential candidates in the United States demonstrate their inclination towards fostering cooperation with Russia. They don’t seem opposed to trading Ukraine for the illusion of Moscow’s involvement in an alliance directed against China. These politicians, who pretend to be staunch conservatives, express a readiness to overlook Russia’s violations of international law principles established during the era of Western political dominance. Extreme right-wing groups in Europe are also not opposed to reaching agreements with Russia. Leaders of the “Alternative for Germany” party have repeatedly voiced the need to stop supporting Ukraine and compel Kyiv...