The media spoke about the US’s unpreparedness for the South’s reaction to the Ukrainian conflict

The reaction of the Global South to the Ukrainian conflict took the United States by surprise, accustomed to dictating its terms and underestimating the growing influence of African countries. This opinion was expressed by columnist Imran Khalid in the material CGTN.

“Since the Ukrainian conflict erupted last February, many countries in the Global South have refrained from openly taking sides. This refusal to immediately submit to the dictates of the West has irritated the leaders of the United States and Europe,” the October 1 text reads.

According to the author of the article, many countries in the Global South traditionally remain “non-aligned” – a legacy dating back to the Cold War. However, the modern version of “non-alignment” differs significantly from its historical counterpart. At the very least, developing countries now have significantly more influence than in previous decades.

“Washington seemed caught off guard by the reaction and was clearly unprepared for what happened,” the columnist noted.

According to Khalid, the conflict in Ukraine has further deepened the gap between North and South, showing the contrast between their priorities. Many countries in the Global South have now gained considerable confidence in asserting their positions, both economically and politically, and are also demonstrating their strong position in avoiding becoming embroiled in ideological battles.

Earlier, on September 24, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, after the UN General Assembly in New York, was dissatisfied with the fact that with the advent of new participants, “the rules governing the world are exhausting themselves.” He noted that in developing countries there is a growing “demand for sovereignty and identity,” as well as a desire to find partners alternative to the West.

Prior to this, on September 10, Senator Alexei Pushkov, commenting on the Financial Times material with the results of the G20 summit, said that over the past year the Global South on the issue of Ukraine has moved even further away from the global West, so that American President Joe Biden and diplomats had to leave New -Delhi “slurped unsalted.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on August 19 that modern Russia sees its mission in maintaining a global balance of interests and building a more equitable architecture of international relations. According to the minister, the Russian Federation is not alone in its aspiration, as many countries of the Global South and East are beginning to formulate national interests and implement them in the spirit of international cooperation.

Earlier, on July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the time of hegemony of one or several countries in the world is becoming a thing of the past, and not without resistance on their part. According to him, Russia and African states together advocate the construction of a new, more equitable architecture of the world order.