Below is the abstract of Dr. Kassenova's article, published in the Winter 2026 issue of the Demokratizatsiya journal, which probes Russia's relations with the Global South.
Viewing Russia’s relations with the Global South through the lens of its evolving relationship with Central Asia offers a productive application of the Global North–Global South framework. The article conceptualizes Central Asia as Russia’s “South,” shaped by a metropole–periphery past, Soviet-era developmentalism, and the region’s role as a showcase and connector to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East during the Cold War. Tracing developments from the late Soviet period to the failed “liberal empire” project and Russia’s post-2022 pivot to the Global South, it highlights the disjuncture between Moscow’s neo-imperial practices in the "near abroad" and its anti-imperialist decolonization rhetoric. While Central Asian states share many concerns with the Global South, their distinct colonial experience and relatively positive view of the West make anti-imperialist solidarity with Russia unlikely, prompting them instead to pursue diversification, hedging, and strategic ambiguity in managing the “Russia challenge.”
Senior Fellow and Director, Program on Central Asia, Davis Center
