The future of international relations hangs by a thread as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine. Countries across the world have responded in myriad ways ranging from outright condemnation and imposition of sanctions on Russia, to taking a neutral stand, or tacitly supporting Russia. Each of these responses has a multi-faceted geopolitical rationale that cannot be inferred through a binary lens. The West led by the USA and NATO desires the world to toe its line of condemnation of the Russian action. However, their efforts have not eventuated in reality so far.

Northeast Asia is a vital region in international relations. Be it the rising Chinese aggression, the Taiwanese fears of a cross-Strait attack, increasing North Korean belligerence, South Korea`s smart diplomacy or Japan`s increasingly bold foreign policy as opposed to its once pacifist constitution; these issues in themselves call for a deeper assessment. In assessing the diversity of responses to the ongoing war, a study of the approaches from Northeast Asian countries, i.e., China, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea is of extreme importance.

This book, based on studies of the geopolitics of each of these countries, carefully assesses their responses and challenges that have only increased since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war on February 22, 2022. Irrespective of how the conflict takes shape, this book, which is the first of its kind, will remain relevant for years to come to study how countries in Northeast Asia responded in the immediate aftermath of the Russian onslaught.

Sriparna Pathak is an associate professor and the founding director of the Centre for Northeast Asian Studies, School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, India. She has worked in Gauhati University, Don Bosco University; the Ministry of External Affairs; Observer Research Foundation, South Asia Democratic Forum, and the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research. She is a mentor for Red Lantern Analytica and part of the Indo-Pacific circle, supported by the U.S. Mission to India. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese and has studied and travelled widely in China. Her research interests include China’s economy and Chinese foreign policies in South Asia. She is currently working on a project on China’s influence operations and India. She can be reached at sriparnapathak@gmail.com 

Manoj Kumar Panigrahi is an assistant professor and co-director of the Centre for Northeast Asia Studies, in Jindal School of International Affairs at O.P. Jindal Global University. He is also a Non-Residential Research Fellow at Taiwan NextGen Foundation, Taipei. He teaches courses on Cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China, East Asian Politics, Taiwanese History and Politics, and Peacemaking in Ethnic Conflicts. His research interests include ethnic conflicts, foreign policy, and cultural issues of Indo-Pacific countries. He has studied in Taiwan and travelled widely around to give lectures in over 100 schools. Due to his grassroots level work, he has received the Best Scholarship Student Award (2016-2020).His upcoming publication includes mapping of Libyan Peace Process. He can be reached at mkpanigrahi@jgu.edu.in