“After focusing on Western support, Kiev must now turn to the Global South”

IUkraine’s counterattack will not be only military. President Volodymyr Zelensky stepped out of his diplomatic comfort zone when he went to the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May. During the first year of the conflict, he indeed multiplied his speeches, remotely or in person, always to warm applause, before almost every parliament in the West or more unexpected assemblies like the Venice Film Festival or the Grammy Awards. ceremony. Having gained their help, he must now speak to those who do not want to hear him.

The origin of the conflict makes it necessary. After focusing on the Western support necessary for the survival of an independent Ukraine, Kiev must now prove its case with the Global South, which brings together a critical mass of disaffected countries, from China to Brazil to India and several dozen African countries.

In Jeddah, the President of Ukraine thus spoke to the Head of State, the Federation of the United Arab Emirates, who abstained in February 2022, in the United Arab Emirates Security Council vote on Ukraine. UN, just three days later. The beginning of the invasion. He spoke in the presence of the newly restored head of state, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, who has consistently supported Moscow at the United Nations. It is true that Vladimir Putin allowed himself to stay in power at the cost of suppressing his fellow citizens.

Africa, Latin America, Asia: Ukraine’s diplomatic counteroffensive map is no less complex than the combat one. Russia has old and strong roots there, which have limited Western efforts to contain it with massive economic sanctions. Until the current president, Dmytro Kuli, in October, Ukraine’s foreign minister had not been to Africa since independence in 1991. His Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, has been there for four tours since February 2022.

Opening of the embassy

Dmytro Kuleba, who announced the upcoming opening of a dozen embassies on the African continent, is also lagging behind in Latin America. Sergei Lavrov defeated him in April in Brazil and three other authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. According to the Ukrainian minister, he was satisfied with one visit to Guatemala in May, where he announced the upcoming opening of the embassy.