Ukraine war: US vowed to isolate Russia but Putin’s jet-setting shows it is hard to do
- Washington’s efforts to shun Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine appear to have been lacking bite as Putin and his top diplomat Lavrov meet leaders, including US allies
- The US, which is in contact with Russia over the release of American detainees, has conceded it needs to engage with the Kremlin as well
Even as he announced plans for the call, Blinken continued to insist Russia is indeed isolated. He argued the travel of its top officials is purely damage control and a reaction to international criticism Moscow is facing for the Ukraine war.
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US officials say Russia is trying to shore up the few alliances it has left – some of which are American adversaries like Iran. But countries that are ostensibly US partners, like Egypt and Uganda, are also warmly welcoming top Russians.
And after making the case since February that there’s no point in talking to Russia because the Kremlin is not serious about diplomacy and cannot be trusted, the US has conceded it needs to engage with Moscow as well.
The public outreach to Lavrov combined with the announcement of a “substantial proposal” to Russia to win the release of detained Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner took many by surprise.
A Blinken-Lavrov conversation would be the highest-level contact between the US and Russia since February 15, before the Russian invasion, and could set the stage for possible in-person discussions, although administration officials say there are no plans for that.
The Kremlin presumably revelled in the news that the US is now seeking engagement and will likely delay the process of arranging a call to gain maximum advantage.
“They are going to drag this out and try to humiliate us as much as they can,” said Ian Kelly, a retired career diplomat who served as US ambassador to Georgia in the Obama and Trump administrations. “I don’t think it goes along with (the administration’s) overall policy.”
Kelly said the request for a call is “counterproductive to our broader effort to isolate Russia.”
“Other countries will look at this and say, ‘Why shouldn’t we deal with Lavrov or the Russians more broadly?’” he said.
Already, Western appeals to convince Asian, African and Middle Eastern nations to shun Russia appear to have been ignored as Lavrov travels around the world.
“What I see is a desperate game of defence to try somehow to justify to the world the actions that Russia has taken,” Blinken said. “Somehow trying to justify what’s unjustifiable.”
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US and European officials point out that Russia has come under heavy criticism for the Ukraine invasion and the food and energy security shortages that have resulted.
Despite that, there is no sign Russia will be excluded from major international events such as the Asean Regional Forum next week, the United Nations General Assembly in September, or a trio of leaders’ summits in Asia to be held in November.
Russia continues to maintain close ties with China, India and numerous developing countries throughout Asia and Africa. Many depend on Russia for energy and other exports, though they also rely on Ukraine for grain.
India, for example, has used nearly 60 million barrels of Russian oil in 2022 so far, compared with only 12 million barrels in all of 2021, according to commodity data firm Kpler.
On the other side of the coin, the Philippines, a US treaty ally, this week scrapped a deal to purchase 16 Russian military transport helicopters due to fears of possible US sanctions.
The Russian foreign ministry has gleefully countered the assertions of Russia’s isolation by tweeting photographs of Lavrov in various world capitals.
Among the photos: Lavrov at the G20 meeting in Bali with the Chinese, Indian and Indonesian foreign ministers; in Uganda with President Yoweri Museveni, a long-time US partner; and in Egypt with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, also a US partner, whose country every year receives billions in dollars in American aid.