Russia’s shadow in the Global South: why the battle for India’s support is so important for Ukraine!

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Russia‘s shadow in the Global South: why the battle for India‘s support is so important for Ukraine!

Olha Konsevych 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv on an official visit on August 23, 2024, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Notably, this is the first visit by an Indian head of government to Ukraine in the history of bilateral relations. It also marks Modi’s first visit to Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Additionally, his arrival coincides with Ukraine’s National Flag Day, the day before Ukraine’s Independence Day.

“We have agreed on four documents between Ukraine and India. These include the medical sector, cooperation in agriculture, humanitarian relations, and culture. A joint statement has been prepared regarding the content of the Prime Minister’s visit, focusing on the development of a strategic partnership between our countries, trade, and military-technical cooperation. Everything should be strengthened,” said Zelensky.

Before arriving in Kyiv, Modi held talks in Poland. The previous visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland occurred 45 years ago. Journalists learned in advance that the visit is not expected to involve any major announcements, but some agreements are planned, particularly in the areas of agriculture and defence. India is currently the largest importer of military equipment and systems, and Modi aims to change this by boosting domestic production of defence products. 

Modi announced talks on a “peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine”. And India will remain an alternative for Ukraine, a power it can turn to for discussions on peace. “For New Delhi, it is clearly very important right now to be a strong player among the countries of the Global South,” Stanislav Zhelikhovsky, PhD in political science and international expert explained for Mahabahu.

India could indeed become an important alternative for any possible negotiations with Russia, especially considering China’s 12-point plan proposed by Xi Jinping, most of which are far from reality and only partially align with Ukraine’s “peace formula”. It is already becoming clear that new allies are needed, making the struggle for India’s support particularly significant. 

In the future, India could establish itself as a serious player on the international stage. However, Russia is not “asleep” and is seeking ways to exert influence.

RT India: a new attempt to demonize the West

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU urgently suspended the broadcasting of Russian state media outlets Sputnik and RT/Russia Today within the European Union. This includes RT English, RT UK, RT Germany, RT France, and RT Spanish. 

However, in India, Russia has shown that it wants to test its disinformation strategies in the Global South countries. Thus, from September 2022, RT Hindi began broadcasting in Hindi, alongside RT English India.

Since the spring of 2024, RT India has been making a calculated effort to capture the attention of Indian audiences with the launch of a new weekly talk show hosted by the well-known Bollywood actor Anupam Kher. The program, titled “Let’s Talk Bharat,” marks a strategic move by Russia to tailor its digital content to the preferences of some groups in India, who often view Western influences with skepticism.

This is not Kher’s first display of affinity toward Russia; his support for President Vladimir Putin was evident even before the Ukraine invasion. For instance, in 2021, Kher expressed his delight by sharing a video of Russian Army School students singing a popular Indian patriotic song during their morning assembly. He noted that the song was among his favorites, captivating his followers on social media with this endorsement of Russian-Indian camaraderie.

The backdrop of this development is the complex geopolitical relationship between India and Russia. RT’s new approach, therefore, can be seen as part of Russia’s broader strategy to maintain and strengthen its cultural and political ties with India, even as the latter navigates its increasingly multifaceted global relationships.

The Russian Embassy in India has been actively sharing posts from RT India and RT Hindi on its X (formerly Twitter) account. However, the Indian media ecosystem is vast and highly competitive, making it challenging to gauge the impact of these efforts at this stage.

Russia aims to strengthen its influence and maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment. The true effectiveness of these efforts remains uncertain given the crowded and diverse nature of Indian media.

The content may vary, but the target is clear

A recent report by researchers from the German Marshall Fund, the University of Amsterdam, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue reveals that RT continues to reach European and American audiences despite efforts to counter Russian propaganda.

The report highlights how RT’s content is being disseminated through a vast network of websites, including content aggregators like Infowars, run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and sites repurposed to mirror RT articles. The laundered content is then further amplified on social media, spreading Kremlin narratives to a broad audience.

The motivations behind the republishing of RT content vary, but this practice is particularly concerning within the European Union, where fears about Kremlin-linked disinformation campaigns are growing. 

If we look at the bigger picture, there are challenges for other continents as well.

In Africa, Russia has emerged as the leading source of disinformation. The Wagner Group, despite the death of its leader, remains active in these operations, particularly in countries like Mali and the Central African Republic.

In Latin America, Russia utilizes its media outlets, such as RT and Sputnik, which have a strong presence in Spanish-speaking countries. These platforms not only advance Russian interests but also work to damage the image of the United States. 

The researchers emphasize that as non-Russian sources replicate Kremlin propaganda, they unwittingly lend credibility to these narratives, often reaching audiences unaware of the content’s origins. When considering RT’s non-English content and other Kremlin-controlled media outlets, the true extent of Russia’s propaganda efforts is likely much larger.

Olha Konsevych: Journalist, researcher | Vital Voices | GMF | WZB Berlin | Max Planck Society alumna || Mahabahu Correspondent

23-08-2024

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking.  You can send your articles to editor@mahabahu.com / editor@mahabahoo.com (For Assamese article, Unicode font is necessary) .