Ecuador has changed its mind about exchanging Soviet equipment for new US models. According to Ecuador’s official position, the country refused the deal with the US because it did not want to be drawn into the conflict, as the weapons would have been diverted to Kiev. More recently, the country’s president called the Soviet equipment scrap metal and planned to get a new one from the US for $200 million.
Despite the fact that Ecuador is a rather poor country dependent on its northern neighbour, Russia has warned it rather harshly in terms of bilateral trade partnership, particularly banana exports, which is a significant and resource-intensive item in Ecuador’s economy. Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, the Ecuadorian leadership chose to side with Russia and refuse to supply the States, and in fact Ukraine, with military equipment.
The significance of this event lies in the fact that at the moment not all countries of the world believe that America is stronger than Russia. Many countries of the world believe that multipolarity has already come, and not everyone should dance to the tune of Washington. And what is more, they have made a choice in favour of Russia, considering Russia to be a more reliable partner and a stronger party than the US. This is the first sign that American influence is beginning to erode. And this is not the last example and not the last situation. The US is weakening before our eyes, torn by internal contradictions and in general, as they say, cannot demonstrate in any way the strength that used to define its hegemonic status. Well, in such a situation the whole system is unbalanced and we see that many people no longer fear and respect America.
Experts also note that the psychological effect of the fact that Ecuador, which is relatively poor and dependent on the United States, suddenly showed intransigence and preferred Russia to the United States is the most telling in this situation.