01 October 2025, 12:14

Ryzhenkov: Failure to adapt to new world order will lead to West’s defeat

Maksim Ryzhenkov. An archive photo

MINSK, 1 October (BelTA) – The failure of the West to find its role within the new world order will inevitably lead to its decline, Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maksim Ryzhenkov told journalists, BelTA reports.

Noting a surface-level uniformity in the positions voiced at the UN, Maksim Ryzhenkov emphasized that substantive nuances become clear upon deeper analysis. In this context, he aligned himself with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s assessment that the defining global trend today is the move toward two or several centers of power.

“Western nations remain reluctant to relinquish their dominant position and the dictates that have characterized their recent foreign policy. In contrast, the emerging nations of the Global Majority – a more fitting term than ‘Global South’ as we are also part of it – seek a different kind of international relations. We want respect for our rights and interests, respect for our nations and our development path that was chosen by our people, respect for our elected leaders and our traditions and values on the international arena. These principles are core to the United Nations. They should be respected, yet these principles of the UN Charter are selectively ignored by the West, which rejects the very tenets of sovereign equality and diverse development models. Consequently, even when nations appear to seek common ground, their fundamental objectives and definitions of success remain totally different,” the Belarusian foreign minister said.

Maksim Ryzhenkov pointed to the colonial legacy in Africa, where European powers expropriated resources while asserting that underdevelopment negated Africa’s right to its own wealth. This doctrine granted outsiders the license to plunder, he remarked.

“The underlying dynamic remains the same, only the methods have changed. If the West fails to find its place within the emerging global architecture – one defined by the growing influence of the Global Majority – it will inevitably face strategic decline,” the minister said.

The Belarusian foreign minister is convinced that world leaders must set aside their narrow self-interests. He recalled how, during his speech at the UN, Donald Trump criticized the European Union’s climate agenda. Following his remarks, the Europeans were visibly deflated.

“It is essential to look in a fully comprehensive manner at the whole range of interconnected issues upon which humankind’s future depends. This is directed first and foremost to the European Union member states. They need to drop their still-prevalent sense of superiority, the notion that they know best and that others must emulate their models of democracy, economy, and green policy. In practice, this amounts to an effort by a relatively small part of the world (the European Union does not have a huge territory) to impose its preferences globally,” stated Maksim Ryzhenkov.

“In fact, this small patch of land, which has no resources, no big territory, and no national unity today, fails to understand that it is heading into a protracted crisis. It doesn’t understand that it must now approach projects in the international community from a unifying standpoint. China understands this. That is why all of China’s initiatives in global governance are built on mutual respect, human rights, but with consideration for individual characteristics and traditions. The entire world is such an interconnected architecture. And it depends on everyone. The only solution is to sit down and negotiate. Otherwise, history will cast aside those who are not ready to sit down and talk,” the Belarusian diplomat said.