International politics may be defined as “the pattern of political interaction between and among states.” Interaction in the international system ranges from conflict to co-operation. At one extreme is pure conflict as when the interests of non-state actors are opposed. If one actor realized its goals, the other can not achieve its objectives.
For examples, in a conflict over territory one state will gain the territory and the other will lose it. At the other extreme is co-operation. In such a situation actors have a common interest, and all benefits from the pursuit of this shared interest.
Most international interaction contains elements of both conflicts and co-operation. Even in situation of extreme conflicts there is often an element of co-operation between U.S.A and Soviet Union over placing of missiles in Cuba in 1962. Both super power interest preventing these conflicts into nuclear war and holocaust led to co-operation as their resolution.
So, there was extreme conflict on one end and on the other end there was complete co-operation. It means that international economic relation themselves are political relations.
