MONGOLIA | Turning Towards the West?
Is Mongolia moving away from Russia and China and towards the West? Over the past few years, Mongolia has received increased attention from the West, with strategic partnerships and high-level visits from U.S. and European officials. These developments raise questions about Mongolia’s ability to move away from its strong ties with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. But are we really seeing a fundamental shift in Mongolia’s strategic direction?
Mongolia is often regarded as a pivot state – a country with special significance in international relations due to its location or other economic or political factors. Having broken away from China in the early twentieth century, Mongolia became closely aligned with the USSR and was a key Soviet ally during the Cold War, especially after the Sino-Soviet split in the early 1960s. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, its foreign relationships fundamentally changed. While it built a particularly strong relationship with China, it remained wary of relying too much on either Moscow or Beijing. This led to the creation of the so-called “Third Neighbour” policy. However, this delicate balance has been disturbed by the Ukraine War. As Russia and China move closer, Mongolia appears squeezed. But as it strengthens its ties to the United States and the EU, is this really a sign that it is decisively shifting towards the West in general?
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*VIDEO CHAPTERS*
00:00 Introduction and Titles
00:37 Pivot States in International Relations
01:47 Mongolia: Location, Population and Economy
02:28 The Emergence of Mongolia
04:04 The Recognition of Mongolian Independence
05:19 Mongolia between the USSR and China
06:35 Mongolia after the Cold War
08:28 Mongolia and its Three Neighbours
10:14 The Ukraine War and Mongolian Foreign Policy
12:08 Why is Mongolian Foreign Policy Changing?
13:16 Is Mongolia Pivoting Towards the West?
*SOURCES AND FURTHER READING*
President of Mongoliahttps://president.mn/en/
News Mongolia | MNB World | YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@MNBWORLD
Mongolia | US State Department
https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/mongolia/
European Union Delegation to Mongolia
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/mongolia_en?s=171
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7 Comments
Ay
Aye~
Did you know that today is election day in Mongolia? Chances are you didn’t. It doesn’t get much attention. However, while the country is largely ignored by the international media, behind the scenes, policymakers from Russia, China, and the West are engaged in a battle to strengthen their ties to the strategically vital country. So, do you think that it is shifting towards the West? More to the point, if relations sour between Russia and China, which side would it take? As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
I doubt Mongolia will be allowed to make any kind of meaningful move toward the West. They're stuck between the two empires left in the world, China and Russia will never allow Mongolia to have self-determination.
Could 1979 West German eurovsion song be the new national anthem of Mongolia please?
Mongolia turning towards the West? That would be a big steppe.
I'm pretty sure Mongolia has already turned to the West multiple times in recent decades
Mongolia has had a policy of what they call "the third neighbor" where Mongolian government recognizes that they consider the US as if it was a bordering nation of Mongolia proper