Observed from afar, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might appear to be a replay of the Cold War stand-off between Russia and the West. But according to political scientist Ivan Krastev a closer look complicates the picture. In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times Krastev argued that while America’s allies in Europe came together in support of Ukraine, other states, especially Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia have offered a different response.
Turkey’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war is a classic example of middle power activism. President Tayyip Erdoğan has downplayed the country’s identity as a NATO member at the same time as he has positioned his country as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. India has used the war to capitalise on Western sanctions and import cheap Russian gas. And the Saudis have cosied up to Beijing and Moscow as a reminder to the United States that the US/Saudi security alliance is not unconditional.
Middle powers have different goals and agendas but they all share one fundamental feature: they are determined to sit at the table of global politics and have a say in shaping their own regions. Krastev and Philippa Thomas explored the rising activism of middle powers and how it is reshaping the world.
Journalist and academic, known for her high-profile broadcasting career with BBC News. Most recently, Philippa anchored daily live news shows on World TV and the BBC News Channel. She spent many years as a foreign correspondent based in Washington DC and before that was a political correspondent at Westminster. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Thomas has chaired the independent Trust in News conference, focusing on information warfare in Ukraine and beyond, and later in May she will be on stage at the Oslo Freedom Forum interviewing Amnesty International Secretary-general Agnes Callamard about the ways the world has responded – and failed to respond – to the crisis in Ukraine.