Valdai Club

The decisive advantage in modern conflict no longer belongs to whoever can deliver the most spectacular first strike. It belongs to whoever can govern duration, writes Akram Kharief.

The mobilization of the BRICS and African players for a negotiated peace in the Middle East illustrates a transition towards a multipolar international system, in which each region would have more power to manage its own challenges, Akram Kharief writes.

If the Yemenis do not succeed in making Israel back down in its war on Palestine, they have met a geopolitical objective: by demonstrating the effectiveness of the alliance of certain countries in the Global South to counter the Western military coalitions that have been trying to establish their rules since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The conflict in Ukraine has had a major impact on North Africa, with each country taking a different approach and ultimately choosing sides. The countries that chose active neutrality will probably benefit most from the post-conflict fallout, having maintained good relations with Moscow and Western capitals. The positions of the North African countries also prove that Moscow will have to review its diplomatic strategy in the region and adapt it according to the attitude of the regimes and their positioning during the conflict, Akram Kharief writes.

Moscow and Algiers, despite their geographical distance, share a common ‘historical DNA’ and a vision of what the world should become.

The end of US hegemony and the rise of a multipolar world has led to significant changes in the international system, with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Algeria, playing a crucial role in shaping the future. Algeria’s strong ties to Russia are helping to counterbalance US dominance and promote a more stable and equitable world order, where multiple actors have the ability to shape global events and influence the future, writes Algerian political journalist Akram Kharief. This article was prepared for the 12th Middle East conference of the Valdai Discussion Club.