From the moment the Russian-Ukrainian war began in early 2022, the United States and Western allies supported Kiev but rising powers such as Brazil, India and smaller, less wealthy countries in Africa and Latin America avoided throwing their full support to Ukraine, despite Zelensky's efforts to expand the international coalition opposing the Russian invasion.

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Edited by| Paul Mitchel

 

Politic section -  CJ journalist

Ukraine conflict news section      

 

New York - September ,19,2023

 

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In the same context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday in an attempt to convince non-aligned countries to support Kiev in its war against Russia.

"The UN General Assembly provides Zelensky with an opportunity to spend some time putting pressure on non-Western countries that have tried to remain unbiased in the war," said Richard Gowan, director of the UN International Crisis Group.

The United States and its allies have spent billions of dollars to support Ukraine in an attempt to prevent Russia from expanding its sphere of influence in eastern Europe. President Biden made a strong case for continuing to support Ukraine in his annual address on Tuesday to the UN General Assembly.

But the calculations were different for some developing countries in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America who had to weigh the benefits of joining the US-led international coalition supporting Ukraine with the downsides of damaging relations with Russia and China.

Some non-aligned countries such as India, which relies on Russian energy and military technology, have expressed support for Ukraine in general terms but have not condemned Moscow. Others in the global south pushed Ukraine to seek a negotiated settlement that would end the war and the pressure it imposes on global food and energy prices.

"They need to hedge their bets,"Bruna Santos, director of the Brazil Institute at the Wilson Center, said of countries that have remained neutral in the conflict. "This is one of the reasons why we clearly saw this ambiguity."

Brazil represents the dilemma facing the rising powers stuck between the West and Russia. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sought to strengthen relations with the United States. But Lula also positioned Brazil as a defender of the global south and a leader of the BRICS bloc, which includes Russia and China.

"It is not clear to Brazil what it gains by joining the West" and supporting Ukraine, Santos said.

Santos said Lula was also hampered by the uncertainty surrounding the 2024 U.S. presidential race. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, and other GOP candidates have questioned granting Ukraine continued support, a sign that U.S. foreign policy will likely shift if Biden loses re-election.

"There is not much clarity about the direction of US foreign policy if Biden loses the election next year,"Santos said.

This uncertainty will complicate Zelensky's mission at the UN. The slow progress of Ukraine in its major counteroffensive this year will also affect how the Non-Aligned Countries assess their approach to Kiev.

Guan said Zelensky "has to walk a fine line" in advocating for more countries to support Ukraine. "The big question is will Zelensky have the right tone to win hearts and minds."

 

 

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