“Putin’s World” Gains Traction as Alternative to West

Vladimir Putin has broad support at home for promoting an image of a tough and revitalized Russia, one envied by nationalists in other countries. “Moscow has not been able to offer a positive vision of a new international system that can compete with, let alone surpass, what the West offers,” writes Richard Gowan for World Politics Review. The leader of the world’s ninth largest country by population supports national sovereignty and rejects western assessments on international justice. Gowan analyzes Russia’s opposition to sanctions as a diplomatic tool and veto of a UN Security Council resolution commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Some developing countries side with Russia in their mistrust for the West, fearing that international justice may be a tool to maintain current imbalances. Multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation are increasingly more challenging as nations cling to old principles of sovereignty, allowing ruthless leaders to trample on human rights within a set of arbitrary borders and use global issues as a platform to win attention and power. – YaleGlobal