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Opinion | West must care about Global South’s affairs if it wants more engagement on Ukraine-Russia conflict
- There are a range of views on the war among developing countries: some have bonds of affection with Russia, while others are repulsed by what they see as Western hypocrisy and double standards
- If the West wants developing countries to care about its concerns, it needs to care about the issues that matter to the developing world
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made headlines when his claim the Ukraine war was “launched against” Russia provoked laughter from the audience during a forum in India.
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But I was in the room and can report he also received applause and indifference. Understanding why can help explain the differences in views on the war between developing countries and the West.
The incident happened at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s premier geopolitics forum featuring more than 26 foreign ministers and six current and former heads of state. Many represented the developing countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific that have variously been called the “Global South” or “majority world”.
The organisers’ decision to invite Lavrov to speak was controversial. To be fair, it was counterbalanced by speakers such as former US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Australian Chief of Defence Angus Campbell, who eloquently presented the case that Russia was involved in an illegal war.
While pro-Ukraine parts of the audience openly laughed at the claim Russia was the victim in the war, there were also those who showed support for Moscow.
On Twitter, Indians voiced opinions ranged from neutral to suspicious of the West and resisting taking sides, given India’s long-standing links with Russia.
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The rest of the audience seemed simply disengaged.
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