The ongoing war in Ukraine has been the subject of numerous studies. Contradictoryinterpretations have emerged regarding the causes of the war, the successes and defeats of thewarring parties, and the positions of the contenders. There has also been an increase in publicationson the war in relation to the international order. This paper aims to provide a coherent historicalcontext to help readers understand the current situation. It demonstrates that the military conflictis a consequence of failed diplomatic negotiations between the governments of the United States,the EU, and Russia in December 2021. The background to these negotiations dates back to 1954and 1990, when the Soviet Union was not accommodated in European security and bold butunwritten promises resulted in disputes that have now come to light. The war in Ukraine beganwhen negotiations between the Russian Federation, the USA and NATO broke down in December2021. This paper explores the perspectives of all parties involved. It argues that this war, whichshould never have happened, could have been avoided through diplomacy; however, the UnitedStates and major European powers disregarded this option. It suggests that major actors, whetherdirectly or indirectly involved in the conflict, miscalculated because the conflict unfolded differentlyto how belligerents and non-belligerents expected. This implies that the international order maychange regardless of how the war ends. Overall, I emphasise that the emerging international orderis polycentric in nature, reflecting the negotiation and struggle processes within capitalism.