The New Geopolitics of Alliances: Rethinking Transatlantic Engagement with Global "Swing States"

Russia’s war against Ukraine has accelerated the erosion of the post-1945 global order and heightened the strategic competition between the United States and China. A full-scale reconfiguration of alliances is underway, forcing other actors worldwide to reposition themselves in relation to changing dynamics in geostrategic competition.
 
Many governments, however, prefer not to choose sides but to maintain fluid relations to address, as their national interests dictate, the numerous issues impacting the international order and to take advantage of opportunities that emerge from the great power competition. These global “swing states”, analyzed in a new GMF publication, “Global Swing States and the New Geopolitics of Alliance” set to be published on May 2, 2023, seek to increase their global influence by varying cooperation patterns with the United States, Europe, China, and Russia, and within multilateral institutions and regional groupings.
 
Recent political, economic, and security crises call for rethinking US and European engagement with key actors in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific that have become increasingly relevant interlocutors for tackling global challenges. A better understanding by the transatlantic community of the swing states’ strategic interests and priorities is essential to reinforce necessary cooperation, especially when geopolitics remains in its current precarious state.
 
“Global Swing States and the New Geopolitics of Alliance” explores how six swing states—Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey—determine their preferences for international cooperation in the areas of security, trade, and technology. This event uses that analysis to delve into the impact of the war in Ukraine and US-China strategic competition on the relationships between the six swing states and the transatlantic community. What opportunities and challenges do the United States and Europe face in improving their relationships with swing states?
 
Please join some of the authors of “Global Swing States and the New Geopolitics of Alliance” to discuss these issues, with a focus on India, South Africa, and Turkey.