Nepal’s Position Towards the Special Military Operation in Ukraine as a Factor of Nepalese-Russian Relations

The beginning of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine was a pivotal event in modern history, the consequences of which a ected the whole world, including South Asia. This shift could not fail to attract the attention of a wide range of researchers specializing in this region. However, their focus is primarily on the impact of new global realities on Russia’s interactions with India. Meanwhile, the small countries of the Himalayan region of South Asia remain “in the shadow.” Nepal is the main object of research in the present article. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the Himalayan state’s ties with Russia. The authors tried to explain the reasons for the low level of bilateral relations and Nepal’s critical approach to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. A special subject of the study was the participation of a signi cant number of Nepalese citizens in the SMO. India and China are the natural main exogenous actors in Nepal. The reasons why they have no e ect on Nepal’s foreign policy in relation to the Special Military Operation are of particular interest, and their disclosure is of the most serious importance for a more complete understanding of Russia’s geopolitical potential. Some recommendations were made to improve the level of bilateral relations and to prompt a potential change in Nepal’s approach to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The conclusions of the study are based on materials from various sources. First of all, it is a regulatory framework that includes both general documents and special ones (contracts, protocols, declarations and other acts). Furthermore, the work uses statistical data (obtained from both national databases and databases of international institutions). The article uses the method of identifying the interconnections and mutual in uences between di erent facets of foreign policy, bilateral and international relations; as well as interpretation of the complex interaction of socio-economic, political and cultural development.