Is the West ready for a multipolar storm? In this episode of Facing Coming Storms, Samir Puri, former British diplomat and Chatham House director, joins us to dissect the West’s fading unipolar dominance as the Global South asserts its weight. We shred the 1990s fantasy of universal democracy and capitalism, now eclipsed by India’s strategic tightrope and South Africa’s bold Hague plays. From our election-monitoring days in Ukraine and Kenya, we trace the collapse of the West’s “history’s victor” myth.

Puri argues that navigating this fragmented world demands cultural fluency as much as strategic muscle—vital for military, policy, and business leaders alike. With Ukraine’s war, China’s economic sway, and the UAE’s multi-alignment reshaping power, we explore how to thrive in a chaotic, multipolar future.

Key moments

• 03:32 - Evolution of the Global South's Role
• 11:50 - Emerging Powers and Autonomous Strategies
• 23:33 - Southeast Asia's Multi-Alignment Approach
• 33:06 - Russia's Asian Pivot and Sanctions
• 35:49 - Engaging the Global South Militarily
• 43:23 - India's Strategic Multi-Alignment
• 50:33 - Optimism Amid a Multipolar Transition

Facing Coming Storms is brought to you by the British Army’s Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, in partnership with the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, and produced by Urban Podcasts.