At first glance, the war in Ukraine would seem to confirm Joe Biden’s view that the world today is marked by a conflict between democracies and authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian Russia has launched a violent offensive in democratic Ukraine, the latter backed by Western democracies.
If we look at it better, however, this figure is neither accurate nor helps us to understand American foreign policy.
It is true that many democracies support Ukraine. But the world’s most populous democracy, India, neither condemned the Russian attack nor pledged to impose sanctions on Moscow. And it’s not just India. Indonesia is cautious. The most successful democracy on the African continent, South Africa, blames NATO for invading Moscow. Latin America’s two largest republics, Mexico and Brazil, are neutral. Iraq abstained from voting in the United Nations to condemn Russia.
One factor that influences the attitude of these countries is certainly their economic interests. India, for example, receives most of its modern weapons from Russia. South Africa and Brazil have important trade relations with Moscow. Beyond that, however, the idea of ​​a major ideological crusade against authoritarian regimes is causing obvious nervousness in most developing countries. Many of them have strong economic ties with China and other authoritarian regimes.
A better way to describe the current dividing line on the planet is between countries that believe in a world order based on rules and those that do not. Russia is at the forefront of the offensive against this world order, which, among other things, states that borders do not change by force.
If the West wants to mobilize the world on this basis, it will find that it has many allies. Singapore, for example, is not a liberal democracy, but it upholds international rules and values. When the Russian invasion began, it decided to impose sanctions, although they had not yet been approved by the Security Council (due to the Russian veto). Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will not easily take part in the struggle against authoritarian regimes – since they are absolute monarchies – but will agree to defend an open international system.
For India or Indonesia, such a scheme could make them think better about the consequences of Russian aggression. If a country can annex a neighboring country without consequences, New Delhi will find itself defenseless against China’s aspirations. African countries have accepted colonial borders because they are aware of the chaos that would ensue if they tried to redraw the borders on the basis of cultural or ethnic criteria.
For this strategy to succeed, of course, the West must also respect this system. US policy, especially in the Iraq war, justifies the accusation of hypocrisy. The Biden government has called for an investigation into Russia’s war crimes, but the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court.
By Farid Zakaria, Washington Post columnist
Source: Washington Post, AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
