Abstract. The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and Taliban’s return to power in the country may be seen not only as an end of another phase of intra-Afghan conflict. It marked the end of a broader period in the evolution of modern international relations system, named by many as «unipolarity». The way this withdrawal was organized became a serious blow to the international reputation of the United States. Nevertheless, Washington's exit strategy from Afghanistan can rightfully be considered a strong move in their confrontation with Russia and China, since they will bear the main burden of stabilizing the region. The results of the war in Afghanistan gave impetus to the long-term transformation of the system of international relations in the direction opposite to unipolarity and «American leadership» in world politics.