The past short period of time has been a watershed in Russia's relations with the West, especially with the United States. In two dramatic television appearances, U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin changed the course of relations, perhaps irreversibly.
Most Western observers focused on Putin's "spoof" of Biden, who dryly wished his American counterpart "good health" (although, by Putin's own account, he did not mean to be snide). This, of course, came after Biden called Putin a "killer.
But it is necessary to read Putin's message to the United States more carefully and completely in order to understand exactly what the Russian leader is trying to tell Americans: Don't judge us by the standards you call us by and don't try to tell us what to do.
Putin has never been so outspoken in asserting these claims. And when he did, the problem was serious.
Putin's message to Biden
The tense test of intensity began with an interview with Biden by ABC correspondent George Stephanopoulos, who, when asked about Biden's opinion of Putin, described him as a "killer" and soulless. He also said that Putin would "pay the price" for his actions.
Then, in an unusual move, Putin responded to Biden with a prepared five-minute statement on state television VGTRK.
Putin recalled with unparalleled poignancy the Indian holocaust in U.S. history, the brutal course of slavery, the continued oppression of blacks in the United States to this day, and the needless use of nuclear weapons to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in World War II.
He advised countries not to judge other countries by their own standards: "Whatever you say about others is what you are yourself."
Some American journalists and observers see this as a "spoof," but it is not.
Putin wanted to send what he called the "establishment, the ruling class" in the United States the most important message of recent years, and his remarks were merely an introduction to that message. He said the U.S. leadership is determined to build a relationship with Russia, but only "on U.S. terms."
"Although they think that we are the same as they are, we are different people. We have different genetic, cultural, and moral codes. But we know how to defend our own interests. And we will work with them, but in those areas in which we ourselves are interested, and on those conditions that we consider beneficial for ourselves. And they will have to reckon with it. They will have to reckon with this, despite all attempts to stop our development. Despite the sanctions, insults, they will have to reckon with this."
This is a new statement from Putin. For years, he has always politely pointed out that Western powers need to deal with Russia on the basis of observing proper diplomatic etiquette and mutual respect for national sovereignty if they want to de-escalate tensions.
But never has he been more outspoken than now: Don't judge or punish us because we don't meet what you call universal standards, because we are different from you. Those days are over.
China is also fighting back
Putin's statement was very similar to a similarly tough public statement made by a senior Chinese diplomat to Secretary of State Blinken in Alaska.
Blinken opened by attacking China's increasingly authoritarian and brutal domestic and foreign policy (e.g., on Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea). Such behavior, he claimed, threatens "the rules-based order that maintains global stability."
In his response, Yang Jiechi, the Chinese Communist Party official in charge of foreign affairs, denounced U.S. hypocrisy. He said:
"The US does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. The US uses its military force and financial hegemony to carry out long-arm jurisdiction and suppress other countries. It abuses so-called notions of national security to obstruct normal trade exchanges, and to incite some countries to attack China."
He said the United States has no right to sell its democracy to other countries until it has dealt with so many public grievances and human rights issues in its own country.
China and Russia are getting closer
Putin's statement was given more weight by two diplomatic actions: Russia's recall of its ambassador to the United States and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's trip to China to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
At the summit, Russia and China agreed to stand firm against Western sanctions, strengthen relations between the two countries and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in international trade and settlements. Lavrov added: "We both believe the US has a destabilizing role. It relies on Cold War military alliances and is trying to set up new alliances to undermine the world order."
The two powers are also demonstrating that even if they have not yet formed a military alliance, they will work together in increasingly tacit agreement as close partners. They will increase cooperation in areas where they share common interests and seek to find new alternatives to the Western-dominated trade and payment system.
How this alternative international order, led by Moscow and Beijing, will develop is being closely watched by Asian and other extraterritorial countries. They can also detect the signs of an intensifying economic and political decline in the United States.
This is a new Cold War, but one that is not based on ideological differences as it was the first time. It is a war for international legitimacy, a struggle for hearts and minds and money in a wider world that is not aligned with the United States or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The United States and its allies will continue to hold on to their discourse, while Russia and China will push their competing narratives. This has been evident in the dramatic great power diplomacy of the past few days.
The global balance of power is shifting, and for many countries, the smart bets may have to be placed on Russia and China.
References
Sunday Exclusive on 'This Week': Russian President Vladimir Putin https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/01/sunday-exclusive-on-this-week-russian-president-vladimir-putin/
Biden says Putin has 'no soul' and will pay a price for election interference – video https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2021/mar/17/biden-says-putin-has-no-soul-and-will-pay-a-price-for-election-interference-video
China Berates U.S. in Alaska Showdown
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/19/china-united-states-alaska-talks/
US, China spar in first face-to-face meeting under Biden
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-alaska-antony-blinken-yang-jiechi-wang-yi-fc23cd2b23332fa8dd2d781bd3f7c178
REFILE-UPDATE 9-U.S., Chinese diplomats clash in first high-level meeting of Biden administration
https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-china-alaska-idUSL1N2LH0A5
Russia recalls its ambassador to the U.S. for consultations
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russia-recalls-ambassador-us-consultations-76515771
China and Russia pledge to stand up to Western sanctions
https://www.afr.com/world/asia/china-and-russia-pledge-to-stand-up-to-western-sanctions-20210323-p57d74
China-Russia Ties: Chinese FM Wang Yi meets his Russian counterpart Lavrov
https://news.cgtn.com/news/304d6a4d7a454464776c6d636a4e6e62684a4856/share_p.html
2 comments:
While I think Putin makes a fair point about the US's own human rights abuses, he is really just dodging criticism directed towards him. In the present, human rights are probably worse than in Russia, but regardless of that, two wrongs don't make a right.
I think the most interesting thing about this post was the way in which Putin exposed the United States hypocrisy. I'm a political cynic, and at the end of the day, everyone is a hypocrite! Putin did not waste time in pointing that out, though I also don't necessarily think Biden was wrong.
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