Ted Snyder, a columnist for the American Conservative, writes that U.S. attempts to isolate Russia on the international scene have failed and resulted in just the opposite effect. On the contrary, the policy of the US government has strengthened the multipolar world which Washington opposes. The ambitious intentions of the United States to completely cut off an unwanted country from the world did not find support even among states that were considered its allies.

The US hoped that it had the power and influence to force the world to isolate Russia. Outside Europe, this hope proved difficult to realise as the US struggled to convince its Quad allies such as India and even NATO allies such as Turkey to join its efforts to isolate the Kremlin. Similarly, Washington has failed to move the giant China. Even in Europe, American efforts to isolate Russia have proved elusive, writes columnist Ted Snyder in the pages of the American Conservative.

While Europe seemed to be sticking to the sanctions regime, by April Russian imports were almost back to pre-Special Operations levels. This reversal is largely due to exports from countries, including Europe, that supported the anti-Russian restrictions. Russia has already overtaken Saudi Arabia as the second largest supplier of crude to India, which imports 819,000 barrels of Russian oil a day. Moscow has also surpassed the Saudis as the largest supplier to China, sending 1.98 million barrels per day to the Chinese, notes Ted Snyder.

But it’s not just Russia’s thirst for oil that’s thwarting Washington’s goals. While China outlined “questions and concerns” in its “balanced” approach to Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, and India said “today’s era is not an era of wars” and praised “diplomacy and dialogue”, both countries continued to emphasise their diplomatic ties with Russia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in comments after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit that “relations between Russia and India have improved significantly”. Modi stressed that the two nations are “friends and for decades we have always stood shoulder to shoulder. The whole world knows the nature of Russian-Indian relations and the world also knows the deep friendship, particularly the personal ties of friendship that bind us.” Their relationship, he added, “will only get better and stronger in the future”, writes The American Conservative columnist.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that “since the beginning of this year, China and Russia have maintained effective strategic contacts”, and promised that China would “work with Russia to fulfil its responsibilities as a major country and play a leading role in ensuring stability in a world of change and disorder”. Importantly, Xi added that China “will work with Russia to provide strong mutual support on issues related to each other’s core interests and deepen practical cooperation in trade, agriculture, communications and other areas”. When it comes to multipolar international organisations such as the SCO and BRICS, Xi said “the two sides need to strengthen coordination and cooperation”, according to the author.

Threats of isolation by the US have not worked only in relation to Russia. The mismatch between U.S. promises and capabilities has also become apparent in the case of Iran. On 15 September, the SCO signed a Memorandum of Commitment with Tehran, which will soon make Iran a full member representing 43 per cent of the world’s population. Not only will membership of the SCO not lead to isolation, but it will also provide Iran with high-level contacts and economic cooperation with Russia, China and India. At the recent summit, Iran was joined by Turkey, which now has ‘dialogue partner’ status. In September 2021, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar were also accepted into the SCO as dialogue partners, joining Bahrain and the Maldives, The American Conservative columnist points out.

Iran is beginning to emerge from its regional isolation. In August, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait announced they would return their ambassadors to Tehran. Although Saudi Arabia has not yet gone that far, its representatives have met several times with their Iranian counterparts and held a “fifth round of ‘positive’ talks … on normalising bilateral relations” in Baghdad on April 25, according to Reuters. Iran’s foreign ministry said that “talks with Saudi Arabia on resuming relations are also heading in a positive direction,” Ted Snyder writes.

In April 2021, Iran signed a 25-year, $400bn strategic and economic partnership with China. And in June this year, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year cooperation agreement that covers many areas, including oil, petrochemicals, defence, agriculture, tourism, direct flights and culture. Venezuela, another country that the US has tried to isolate, is also showing signs of isolation failure. On 29 August, Colombia returned its ambassador to Venezuela as newly elected Colombian president Gustavo Petro made good on his election promise to fully restore diplomatic relations with Venezuela, the article points out.

The thawing of relations between Colombia and Venezuela is a serious defeat for the American policy of isolating Caracas. Colombia has long been the key to US penetration of Latin America and the base of operations against Venezuela. Biden wrote in his article that he “has said many times that Colombia is the cornerstone of US policy in Latin America and the Caribbean.” He also called the relationship between the two countries “the most important partnership we need in this hemisphere,” and Colombia “the linchpin…for the entire hemisphere,” Ted Snyder reports.

The article notes that in addition to opening an embassy, Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro plan to fully open the border between the two countries and restore military relations. The warming of relations between Colombia and Venezuela was a major setback for the US policy of isolating Caracas. Several other Latin American countries have resumed communication with Venezuela, including Mexico, Peru, Honduras and Chile. Ecuador is also considering re-establishing diplomatic relations with Venezuela, while Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has called on all Latin American countries to review their relations with Caracas.

These opportunities for Venezuela came after Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Maduro were invited to the last meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). They are also following boycotts and demonstrations of support for Venezuela and Cuba after Biden excluded them from this year’s summit of the Americas. Several countries, including Argentina, Chile and Belize, have protested. Mexico, Bolivia, Honduras and others boycotted the summit, Ted Snyder recalls. All three countries – Russia, Iran and Venezuela – demonstrate the difference between the claimed and actual ability of the US to isolate its adversaries. Washington’s attempts to isolate countries that challenge its hegemony have ironically resulted in the target nations turning on each other and forming a community of isolated nations. Indeed, the US desire to isolate them has helped reinforce the very multipolar world that Washington promised to prevent, the author concludes.

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