Frameworks and contexts are never static, but recent changes seem to be more profound and accel­erated, not least due to the impacts of the Corona pandemic. In the last decade, volatility has affected many formats of foreign policy action that were pre­viously considered stable. This applies – even after the end of the Trump presidency – to the willingness to act multilaterally, to the commitment to global public goods, as well as to the relationship between preventive action and the recovery from damages resulting from crises and conflicts. It can thus be assumed that the West will lose recognition and that the influence of its values and normative ideas will (further) wane. This affects not only the leading power – the United States (US) – but also the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance, the Euro­pean Union (EU), and Germany.

Just how far-reaching the resulting shifts at the global level will be is difficult to assess at present. How­ever, Germany must prepare itself for the pos­si­bility of considerable upheavals in international politics that will affect both partners and competitors. At the same time, these developments imply the need, but also the opportunity, to create new momen­tum in the European and international frameworks.