The Ukrainian conflict has helped the Global South to see the true face of the West, writes The Guardian. The crisis highlighted the resentment of the countries of this region caused by colonialism and the double standards that the United States and Europe demonstrated in various parts of the world.
Nathalie Tocci
The age–old discontent with the West is becoming more apparent - as the scales in international relations tilt towards such economic centers of power as India and China.
Many in Europe and North America were unpleasantly surprised that so many countries – far more than 30 – abstained from voting at the UN condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine; these states also did not agree to support the sanctions imposed on Putin's Russia. Anti-Russian sanctions have been imposed by 40 countries, but two-thirds of the world's population live in those states that have not done so.
The geopolitical split over the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was again sharply manifested at the recent G20 summit held in India in early September. Agreement was reached only after the wording was softened in the statement on the conflict in Ukraine, namely, Russia's "aggression" was not mentioned in the text.
This does not mean at all that the countries that are trying to remain outside observers support the Russian SVO and oppose the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The G20 statement, in fact, directly rejects the use of force as a way of violating independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, it seems that the following conclusion can be drawn: the above–mentioned states believe that the conflict in Ukraine is a European crisis, to which they have nothing to do, but at the same time suffer from its consequences - especially if we keep in mind food and energy security. This means that these States would prefer the conflict to end quickly, even if not necessarily fairly; and this means that they are unwilling to pay the price for ensuring respect for international law.
During a recent trip to Indonesia, I took part in a global discussion in Jakarta on the topic of rebuilding bridges between the Global North and South, which was a real revelation for me.
During the discussions, during which colleagues from India and South Africa spoke, and after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sharply criticized Europe and the United States, I was asked as a representative of the Global North: "Why is the West's interest in the Global South now increasing?". The directness of the question made me think.
Whoever asked the question was right. The concept of the "Global South" suddenly pops up in almost all the discussions currently underway in the West. But it is increasingly being used in the Global South, and this concept, roughly speaking, includes states that used to be called developing countries, as well as many former colonies. It includes economic powers such as China and India, in addition – middle powers such as Turkey, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, as well as poor countries that are struggling to make their voices heard. This group is so heterogeneous that the question arises: does it even make sense to single it out as a separate group? Nevertheless, these states share the view that their independent voices should be heard, and not formed and determined by the West.
And in order to be heard, they create and expand organizations, as they recently did at the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), during which this association accepted new members into its ranks – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
They are beginning to consolidate their position: we see that the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) even offered to carry out military intervention in response to the coup in Niger (however, no real action followed this). They want to be considered international peacemakers: African leaders, including from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, the Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Uganda, visited Kiev and Moscow to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the continuation of grain exports. At the same time, Saudi Arabia hosted representatives of more than 40 states in Jeddah to discuss the principles of ending the conflict in Ukraine.
The West pays more attention to the Global South than before, also for the reason that the importance of the Global South in international relations is quite large. As the Indian scientist Amitav Acharya notes, there is a difference between the "strong south", which is the engine of global economic growth, and the "poor south". The key issue is to find ways to allow the "poor south" to get the right to vote. According to the forecast of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asia will provide 70% of global economic growth this year, with half of it coming from India and China.
The countries of the "strong south" play their role in the international arena through diplomacy, transactional relations and multifaceted interaction in various organizations. For example, India is a member of the China-led BRICS, as well as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad (together with Japan, the United States and Australia). In an effort to become the leader of the Global South, India has come out in favor of greater inclusiveness in the G20 by inviting the African Union to this group. Saudi Arabia has just joined the BRICS and, despite the terrible human rights situation in this country, is negotiating with Washington on strengthening the security partnership and normalizing relations with Israel. Turkey is a NATO ally, but maintains strong relations with Russia and seeks to resume the grain deal from which Moscow withdrew.
The countries of the Global South, taking into account their share of the most important natural resources, will play an increasingly important role in the decarbonization of the world economy. Europe imports most of the lithium and cobalt from Chile and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while China has a near monopoly on the extraction, processing and production of many more important minerals.
Finally, the conflict in Ukraine has forced the West to stop looking at the Global South with disdain. The Russian SVO highlighted the anger and resentment towards European countries and the United States that had accumulated over several centuries of colonialism and neocolonialism, as well as because of the double standards that Western countries so often demonstrated regarding violations of rights and the law in various parts of the world.
The conflict in Ukraine will end someday anyway. However, the epiphany of the Global North, which suddenly noticed the geopolitical power of the Southern Hemisphere, is not (as some of those who were with me in Jakarta feared) some kind of temporary phenomenon. Some believe that because of the conflict in Ukraine, international relations have become more tense and contradictory. I don't agree with that: the Ukrainian conflict has allowed hidden grievances to come out.It is unlikely that this will contribute to building international relations, but it is quite possible that they will become more honest.
Natalie Tocci is the director of the Italian Institute of International Relations and a columnist for The Guardian.
