Washington-President Biden said that the League of Nations to rally the world against Russia’s aggression rallyed so quickly, even before the war in Ukraine began. I was surprised later In “Purpose and unity found in the months we once took years to achieve.”
Now, in the fourth month of the dispute, U.S. authorities are strong. National coalition Spreading from North America across Europe to East Asia — it may not be enough to break the looming stalemate in Ukraine.
With increasing urgency, the Biden administration has campaigned economic sanctions, military support, and diplomatic pressure on countries that Washington recognizes as conflict-neutral (India, Brazil, Israel, Gulf Arab countries, etc.). I’m trying to get you involved. Isolate Russia and bring a decisive end to the war. So far, even if any of them are happy Partnership with the United States About other major security issues.
Biden is making special diplomatic and political bets this summer Plan to visit Saudi Arabia, He called it “Paria”. And on Thursday, he met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as a bystander at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.Bolsonaro visited and declared Moscow the week before Russia invaded Ukraine “solidarity” With President Vladimir Putin.
In Los Angeles, Bolsonaro anticipates Biden’s push to Russia, and Brazil remains open to help end the war, but “given that it relies on certain foreign players, You have to be careful. “
“I have a country to control,” he said.
US officials acknowledge the difficulty of trying to convince the country that it can balance its interests with the willingness of the United States and Europe to isolate Russia.
“One of the biggest problems we face today is the fencesitter problem,” said US Agency for International Development Secretary Samantha Power, a government effort to strengthen free speech and fair elections. After giving a speech about, he said on Tuesday. And other democratic systems for authoritarian leaders around the world.
She said she hopes that Russia’s atrocities committed in Ukraine will convince neutral nations to join the coalition against Moscow. Used against our citizens. “
Russia and its partners, especially China, have blamed the US government’s efforts to expand the coalition. The coalition includes Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand in addition to European countries.
“In the modern world, it is impossible to isolate a country, especially a huge country like Russia,” said Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to state media.
In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian threatened on Monday that the United States would “force the country to participate in the dispute between Russia and Ukraine and impose unilateral sanctions and long-arm doctrine. Only. ” “Isn’t this compulsory diplomacy,” he added.
Shortly after Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February, the Russian currency, the ruble, became a crater.But since then Bounced off Russia continues to gain hard currencies by exporting energy and other commodities to many countries, including China, India, Brazil, Venezuela and Thailand.
In some countries, the decision to partner with the United States can have life-threatening consequences.Washington warns African countries hit by drought Don’t buy grain Russia stole from Ukraine when food prices rose and perhaps millions of people were hungry.
“As a result, major strategic middle powers such as India, Brazil and South Africa are taking very sharp lines to maintain strategic autonomy and cannot simply be expected to snuggle up to the United States,” said international professor Michael.・ John Williams said. Relations at Syracuse University and former adviser to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“Washington believes the war will win in the West, but the Kremlin believes it will win in the East and North and South,” Williams said.
By voting in March UN resolution Condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 35 countries abstain, Mainly from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. It surprised US officials and their allies, but nevertheless said 141 of the 193 states had blamed Russia. Only five states, including Russia, voted against the bill.
Brazil resolved to blame Russia, and Mr Bolsonaro urged negotiations to end the war. However, his country continues to import fertilizer from Belarus, an ally of Russia and Moscow.
Both India and South Africa have abstained from the UN vote. India has a decades-long strategic partnership with Russia, relying on Russia for oil, fertilizers and military equipment.The Biden administration had little luck Invite India to join the coalition..
Indian officials say imports from Russia are modest. India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar dismissed the question during his visit to Washington in April, saying, “Probably the total purchases this month will be less than Europe makes in the afternoon.”
“So you might want to think about it,” he said.
But Europe is now cutting energy imports with a partial embargo on Russia’s oil, while India Negotiations are reportedly underway We will work with Moscow to further increase the already increasing purchase of crude oil.
Relations between South Africa and Russia can be traced back to the Cold War, in which the Soviet Union supported the anti-apartheid movement that transformed the dynamics of domestic power.
Although trade between the two countries is modest, South Africa, like many other countries, has long suspected Western colonialism and the United States as unrivaled superpowers.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Blame NATO He provoked Russia into war and called for new diplomatic negotiations. Mr Biden called in April to urge him to accept “a clear and unified international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” White House statement..
one month later, Ramaphosa lamented The impact of the conflict on “bystander” countries, he said, “will also suffer from the sanctions imposed on Russia.”
Brazil, India and South Africa, along with Russia and China, are members of groups in the following countries: Occupies one-third of the world economy..Moscow at an online meeting of the group’s foreign ministers last month Proposed to establish an oil and gas refinery With that fellow partner. The group also discussed expanding membership to other countries.
Russia-Ukraine War: Significant progress
Other countries that have abstained from the UN vote, such as Uganda, Pakistan and Vietnam, have accused the US-led coalition of Russia of blocking peace negotiations with Ukraine’s military support. US and European officials claim that the weapons and information it provides will only help Ukraine protect itself from Russian troops.
The growing urgency of the Biden administration is embodied in plans to visit Saudi Arabia, despite the president’s previous condemnation of Saudi Arabia. Murder And the possibility War crimes.. Biden’s efforts, which have already been criticized by key Democrats, are partly aimed at getting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to support a margin with Ukraine. One goal is to help these countries adjust for significant increases in oil production to lower global prices, while the United States, Europe and others boycott Russia’s oil.
US officials are disappointed by the declared neutrality of the Gulf Arab nations, buying US weapons and working on Washington for policies against its main rival, Iran.
Israel, which also purchased American weapons and is the closest ally to the United States in the Middle East, has expressed solidarity with Ukraine.At the same time, but it has Resisted to support some sanctions and direct criticism Of Russia.
Until Biden offered to meet him in Los Angeles, Bolsonaro signaled that he would not go to the top of most heads of state in the hemisphere. It was a direct appeal for former Connecticut Senator Christopher J. Dodd, a special adviser to the summit, to persuade him to attend Brazil.
Valentina Saider, a Brazilian expert at the Atlantic Council, said the Biden administration is expected to continue discussions with Bolsonaro. Brazil-Russia relations And China.
However, she said Bolsonaro is unlikely to move away from Putin. “Brazil takes its own interests into account,” Sader said.
US officials have reached the same conclusion about China, Russia’s most powerful strategic partner.They criticized Mr Putin for the United States and NATO and their Disinformation and conspiracy theories spread It undermines the United States and Ukraine.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on February 4, three weeks before Russia began a full-scale invasion, and the two governments Declares an “unrestricted” partnership..
In late May, China and Russia First joint military exercise Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Mr. Biden has flown strategic bombers over the waters of Northeast Asia during his visit to Japan.
But China is also refraining from economic or military assistance to Russia. Request from Moscow, US officials say.Biden Warned Mr. Xi In a video call in March, China’s giving physical assistance to Russia would have “results,” Chinese officials and executives said, sanctions on companies when they give Russia substantial support. I am afraid that I may receive it.
“Secondary sanctions are strict and China doesn’t want this to affect its company,” said Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Based in Moscow.. “Many Russian sources tell me that they are talking to the Chinese and have not heard any reply.”
Michael Crowley Report that contributed.
