As US and Russian officials hold talks in Saudi Arabia to end the Ukraine war on Monday, former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbaev tells TRT World in an exclusive interview via Zoom that the Ukraine conflict is part of a larger global shift—one where “the Global South gets more influential, [while] the West is retreating.”

He argues that only non-Western nations, particularly BRICS members, should lead peacekeeping efforts, as NATO’s involvement is unacceptable to Russia.

Highlighting economic shifts, he notes that China and India are outpacing the West in the technological race, reshaping global power dynamics. Otorbaev stresses that “the name of the game in the modern world… is competitiveness,” urging nations to adapt to the new global order.

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