Russia’s Illiberal Anticolonalism: De-Westernization, World Majority, and the Politics of Normative Pluralism

This article analyzes the resurgence of anticolonial rhetoric in Russian foreign policy since 2022 and conceptualizes it as a form of illiberal anticolonialism. It argues that contemporary Russian discourse toward the Global South should not be reduced to tactical propaganda but understood as part of a broader ideological configuration structured around majoritarianism, sovereigntism, civilizationism, and conservatism. Reworking elements of Soviet internationalism through a conservative lens, Russian elites frame de-Westernization as a struggle against Western normative hegemony and promote a vision of multipolarity grounded in state sovereignty, cultural authenticity, and traditional values. The article pays particular attention to Sergey Karaganov’s concept of the “World Majority,” which seeks to symbolically unite non-Western states against the “collective West” and to legitimize Russia’s foreign policy, including the war in Ukraine, as part of a wider anticolonial project. It concludes by assessing the appeal and limits of this illiberal emancipation narrative, emphasizing that de-Westernization does not necessarily imply de-liberalization.