THE RETURN OF NONALIGNMENT

AT FIRST GLANCE, THE POLICY OF NONALIGNMENT may seem irrelevant in today’s increasingly polarized world. The Western alliance is more united than since the Cold War, with even Finland and Sweden abandoning neutrality to join NATO. Other sharpening divides—between democracies and autocracies, rich and poor—dominate international affairs and contribute to the fragmentation of economies and polities.

Yet after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nonalignment has become an attractive option for countries in the global south. Several states in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have displayed ambiguity toward the Western coalition, a reluctance to endorse sanctions against Russia, and discomfort with the idea of a new cold war. For these countries, the existing order does not address their