«... After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, the UN held an emergency vote - 141 nations out of 193 UN member states voted a week later to condemn it. But a number of major countries chose to abstain, including China, India and South Africa. So it would be delusional for Western leaders to believe that the entire world shares Nato's view - that Russia is entirely to blame for this catastrophic war - because it doesn't.
So why are so many countries on the fence about Russia's invasion?
There are many reasons, ranging from straightforward economic or military self-interest, to accusations of Western hypocrisy to Europe's colonial past. There is no one-size-fits-all. Every country may have its own particular reasons for not wanting to publicly condemn Russia or alienate President Putin.
... the West cannot assume the rest of the world shares its view of Putin, nor of the sanctions, nor of the West's willingness to openly confront Russia's invasion with ever more lethal supplies of weaponry to Ukraine.»
