Big countries from different parts of the world no longer want to listen to what the U.S. has to say. From now on, they only pursue their own interests, writes Le Figaro. This is especially noticeable by the behavior of Saudi Arabia, according to the magazine’s observer.
Saudi Arabia has just hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as well as chairing the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab-Chinese summit, the Le Figaro columnist writes. “In the much coveted Middle East, where economic interests and the balance of international power are more important than human rights, the Khashoukji case seems to have been completely forgotten,” the article notes. Even Turkey, which shed light on the case by releasing its classified material, now says only Saudi justice should handle it.
The US Democrats’ attempt to isolate Saudi Arabia has failed, the article concludes. Thanks to the energy crisis, Riyadh is once again a major player on the international stage. During his election campaign, US President Joe Biden pledged never to mess with the leaders of Saudi Arabia. However, because of the Russian boycott, energy prices have soared. But there is only one hydrocarbon producer in the world equivalent to Russia – Saudi Arabia. So Joe Biden had to go to the Middle East. Riyadh promised Biden to increase oil production, but in the end it did so only nominally. In doing so, he showed that he was not going to listen to “his great American protector”.
By giving Xi Jinping a reception worthy of an American president, the Saudi crown prince signalled that he had a backup plan in case the United States tried to isolate him again. But he also wanted to show he was building an independent foreign policy. The Gulf states have no intention of getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the author notes. They have shown that they can have a dialogue with China without any American mediation. Next year they will organise a direct meeting with ASEAN countries. This is a sign that the countries have decided to assert themselves.
But the author reassures: non-European countries are unlikely to reject America outright because its soft power remains important. But they will no longer follow it directly. The same attitude can be found in other regional powers such as Brazil or South Africa. These countries see no reason to take sides in the current Ukrainian conflict.
Forces in the Middle East, Latin America or Africa, according to the author of the article, do not take an anti-American stance, but rather try to pursue their own policies while maintaining relations with Washington. Saudi Arabia, for example, claims that it maintains its friendship with the US, but will pursue its own energy policy. It cares about price stability in the long term and is willing to coordinate this strategy with Moscow. And Xi Jinping, during his visit, was pleased to be able, if only for a moment, to shrug off his rivalry with America and his “sticky friendship” with Russia.
And while, according to an article in Le Figaro, countries worldwide are not happy with Russia’s policies, they take the opportunity to show that they will now have the opportunity to follow strictly their own interests.