Is Nonalignment Such a Big Deal?
Here’s what neutrality means in the 21st century.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there has been a lot of talk about the return of nonalignment, particularly as countries in the global south have resisted taking sides. But what does nonalignment really mean in the 21st century—and how might it shape global politics? The essays below explore the nonaligned stance of countries such as Brazil and South Africa and question whether key nations insisting on neutrality can really usher in a new, post-Western global order.—Chloe Hadavas
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there has been a lot of talk about the return of nonalignment, particularly as countries in the global south have resisted taking sides. But what does nonalignment really mean in the 21st century—and how might it shape global politics? The essays below explore the nonaligned stance of countries such as Brazil and South Africa and question whether key nations insisting on neutrality can really usher in a new, post-Western global order.—Chloe Hadavas
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waits for the arrival of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on March 19.JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images
A New Cold War May Call for a Return to Nonalignment
A growing number of countries want to avoid getting stuck in a great-power tussle—again, Shivshankar Menon writes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia, on Oct. 23, 2019. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images
South Africa’s Nonsensical Nonalignment
The ANC has forgotten that the outside world’s principled rejection of neutrality sustained the struggle against apartheid, Eusebius McKaiser writes.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends the welcome session at the Portuguese Parliament in Lisbon on April 25. Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images
How to Understand Brazil’s Ukraine Policy
Like it or not, Lula’s stance reflects legitimate misgivings about the global order, Oliver Stuenkel writes.
A woman demonstrates in front of the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires on Feb. 24, the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images
Why Latin America Will Stay Nonaligned
The bloc’s consensus on Russia’s war in Ukraine is being put to the test, Jacob Sugarman writes.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi welcomes Cuban leader Fidel Castro to the Summit of Non-Aligned Countries in New Delhi on March 5, 1983. Alain Nogues/Sygma via Getty Images
Why Nonalignment Is Dead and Won’t Return
An old ideology rears its head but offers little for the present age, C. Raja Mohan writes.
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