Russia, the Global South and the Changing World Order

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

It is almost a cliché to assert that the notion of the “post-Cold War” era no longer accurately describes the current state of international affairs. The global order is changing rapidly, with Russia playing a significant role in this transformation through its revisionist policies. It seeks allies among the countries of the Global South.
This panel aims to highlight the complexity of Russia’s approach toward the Global South. Two papers focus on justice as a central emotional and ideological belief that unites seemingly unlikely partners—namely, former colonies and a European great power with its own sphere of hegemonic influence. One paper examines the concept of racial justice within the broader context of Soviet-era narratives on decolonization, now intertwined with contemporary anti-Western rhetoric. The other explores the justice claims articulated by the Kremlin in relation to the existing global order, revealing discrepancies between Russia’s perspective and that of the Global South.
Complementing these normative analyses, a third paper examines Russia’s ‘tactical globalism,’ demonstrating how the Kremlin strategically exploits the growing ambiguity in geopolitical loyalties.
Together, these three papers address the paradox of Russia’s behavior. On the one hand, Moscow appears to gain an advantage over the West by adopting a largely transactional approach, unburdened by moral constraints or ideological commitments. On the other hand, it actively employs moral arguments about (in)justice to foster a sense of shared purpose with the Global South in shaping a new global order.

Sub Unit

• International Relations, Security Studies, Foreign Policy

Chair

• Kristina Hook, Kennesaw State U

Papers

• Russian Visions of Racial Justice - Nikolay Zakharov, Södertörn U (Sweden)

• Be Careful What You Wish Cause You Just Might Get It: Russia’s Justice Claims and its Rapprochement with the Global South - Alicja Curanovic, U of Warsaw (Poland)

Discussants

• Dmytro Vovk, Cardozo School of Law

• Michael S. Gorham, U of Florida