1st Edition

The Russia-Ukraine War and the Global South’s Sovereignty Paradox

Edited By Raj Verma Copyright 2025
158 Pages
by Routledge

158 Pages
by Routledge

This book examines the sovereignty paradox in the Global South within the context of the Russia-Ukraine war. It illustrates the contradiction that countries which helped establish the post-World War II norm of "equal sovereignty"—entitling all nations to the same respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity as the West—are reluctant to publicly condemn Russia’s infringement on Ukraine’s... Read more

Introduction

Raj Verma

 

1. The “sovereignty paradox” in China’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war

Björn Alexander Düben and Hangwei Li

 

2. Interests trump principles and values: India’s neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war

Raj Verma

 

3. Brazil’s position in the Russia-Ukraine war: balancing principled pragmatism while countering weaponized interdependence

Dawisson Belém Lopes and Karin Vazquez

 

4. Ukraine, the 2023 BRICS Summit and South Africa’s non-alignment crisis

Janis van der Westhuizen

 

5. Indonesia’s ambivalence in the Russia-Ukraine war: balancing equal sovereignty norms with a familial approach

Baiq Wardhani and Radityo Dharmaputra

 

6. Pakistan’s neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war: navigating great power politics

Shahid Ali and Raj Verma

 

7. No dog in this fight: Interrogating Ethiopia’s calculated neutrality towards the Russia-Ukraine war

Sizo Nkala

 

8. Saudi Arabia’s ambivalent stance on the Russia-Ukraine war: balancing regime stability and equal sovereignty

Jens Heibach and Luíza Cerioli

 

9. National security outweighs norms and principles: Egypt’s foreign policy towards the Russia-Ukraine war

Eman Ragab and Nourhan Sultan

 

 

 

 

Biography

Raj Verma is Professor of International Relations and Foreign Policy and Director, Center for South and Central Asia at Shanghai International Studies University, and a Non-Resident Scholar at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, USA. He is the editor/co-editor of seven special issues/sections and author of more than 40 articles published in journals. His research is focused on India’s and China’s foreign and security policy, Sino–India–US-Russia-Pakistan relations, Asian security issues, emerging world order and International Relations theory.