The Race for the Global South or the ‘Battle for the Global Majority’: Prospects for Russia

Abstract

The explosive growth of attention to the Global South—a natural result of the past decade’s synergetic trends—is likely to influence the rapid transformation of the world order that is now underway. The mammoth resources, underinvested infrastructure, and huge population (i.e., potential consumer market) of the Global South and the World Majority drive global players to compete for influence in these countries. Russia’s advantages in trade and security, together with its pragmatic diplomacy, remove the political and ideological barriers to bilateral and multilateral relations with the Global South’s politically, economically, and civilizationally diverse states.