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Russia’s war against Ukraine has reshaped the Global South’s geopolitics, pushing states like Brazil, South Africa, and India to hedge between Western and Eastern blocs in pursuit of strategic autonomy. In parallel, Ukraine—countering Russian and Chinese information operations—is working to assemble diplomatic coalitions across Africa and Latin America to elevate its international standing.
The Global South is not a monolith but a distinct political constellation. Amid the Ukraine war, countries such as Brazil, South Africa, and India have adopted deliberately ambiguous positions, reflecting pragmatic interests, historical alignments, and a desire for independence under competing pressure from the West and authoritarian power centers. Against this backdrop, Ukraine’s challenge is to forge effective partnerships in Africa and Latin America while steering clear of ideological entanglements.
At the same time, Russia and China have intensified information influence efforts, advancing narratives that compete with pro-Western messaging. Why do these states remain noncommittal? What diplomatic openings exist for Ukraine across the Global South? And how are Moscow and Beijing strengthening their informational reach?
Read more in the article by Bohdan Popov, Head of Digital at the United Ukraine Think Tank, communications specialist and public figure.
Firstly, Popov explains that since 2022, Ukraine has launched a “Ukrainian-African Renaissance”: opening new embassies, expanding political outreach, and rolling out humanitarian initiatives—most notably “Grain from Ukraine”—that have supported food security in numerous African countries. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s tours have improved Kyiv’s reputation among government institutions, and some states have begun to adjust their stance on the war.
Ukraine is also engaging through trade and investment frameworks, educational exchanges, and cultural diplomacy. For instance, it is deepening ties with creative industries in Latin America and Africa via cultural programming and agencies that present Ukraine as a reliable partner.
Secondly, the expert argues that Moscow, meanwhile, employs a broad information-warfare toolkit: clone websites, bot networks, and social-media manipulation. Campaigns such as Doppelgänger and SDA distribute disinformation about Ukraine across Global South regions. Analyses suggest that over 20% of pro-Russian content is driven by automated accounts, especially in India, South Africa, and neighboring states. Western intelligence reporting further indicates growing coordination among Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China to propagate anti-Western narratives, including the instrumentalization of antisemitic tropes against liberal democracies.
China’s approach is more incremental yet sophisticated: paid Xinhua placements on Facebook, algorithmic amplification of Russian narratives, and dense bot activity pushing synchronized messages. While Beijing publicly promotes a “window of opportunity” for a peaceful settlement, its information apparatus appears to cultivate sympathy for Russia’s framing of the conflict.
Finally, the author concludes that Ukraine can secure diplomatic and moral gains in the Global South only by shifting to a systemic, long-term strategy—engaging not as a petitioner, but as a partner offering security know-how, technological cooperation, education initiatives, and genuine mutual respect. The Global South resists being instrumentalized by others’ wars, but it is open to collaboration with actors who speak to its cultural, historical, and economic realities.
If Ukraine and its allies fail to do so, Russia and China will continue to fill the void—risking a broader struggle in which the war over Ukraine becomes a contest over the civilizational direction of a large share of humanity, with far-reaching consequences.
Read the full article by Bohdan Popov on The Gaze: The Great Realignment: How the War in Ukraine Reshaped the Global South
