Al Jazeera Centre for Studies has released a new book titled Dhil al-Qaysar: ad-Duwal as-Saghira fi Zaman as-Sira‘ ad-Duwali [The Tsar’s Shadow: Small States in an Era of International Conflict], by Abdullah Rashid Al-Mursel Al-Marri. Spanning 365 pages, the book examines how the Russia-Ukraine war has reshaped the positions of small and peripheral states within the international system, revealing new roles that have emerged on the margins of the conflict, far from the centre of direct confrontation.
The book is grounded in the central idea that major transformations in international politics often occur at the peripheries, where the limits of power are tested, positioning rules shift, and strategic calculations are reformulated.
It traces how states in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa have interacted with a moment of sharp global polarisation, analysing how they have managed their diplomatic, economic and security options. The study explores how these states have sought either to expand their room for manoeuvre or to fortify their positions within a volatile international environment. In this context, the book offers an in-depth reading of how small states can act as pragmatic players, leveraging opportunities created by disruptions in the international order while operating under strict geographic and political constraints.
The significance of this work lies in its focus on the outer edges of international conflict, where subtle transformations are taking shape—developments that may pave the way for a rearrangement of the global balance of power. It provides a different understanding of power dynamics in a world moving toward a turbulent multipolarity.
The author is a Qatari researcher specialising in international affairs and international relations. His work focuses on geopolitical transformations and the contemporary international system, with particular emphasis on the challenges facing small states amid international conflict and ongoing global realignments.