Abstract. The most important event in 2020 was the coronavirus pandemic announced in March. The pandemic and the restrictive measures that followed in most countries of the world exacerbated the challenges that were obvious before: problems of economic restructuring, new trends in the labor market and in education, the need to reduce social inequality. In general, the coronavirus crisis caused an increase in the degree of social tension, including in Russia, and significantly accelerated the processes of de-globalization, re-nationalization and strengthening of China’s position. The world has become more nationally protectionist and selfishly pragmatic. In the face of a global threat requiring a coordinated response, international institutions, primarily the UN, but also to a large extent WHO and the IMF, were unable to quickly develop an anti-crisis strategy. In the context of the strengthening of the role of national states, the need for Russia to formulate its main interests and the choice of a strategy, which will determine its place in world politics for decades, becomes especially urgent.