About breaking Russia’s diplomatic blockade to speak early, after all the friendly gestures of Western leaders still lead nowhere.
<hr/>While we see the exact position of solidarity of the West, including Japan, in relation to today’s Russia and its exchange rate.© Photo from kremlin.ru
Alexander Zelenin
Journalist
IA “Rosbalt”
If to approach formally, the summit of leaders of the countries “Big twenty”, which ended this week in the Chinese Hangzhou, was somewhat more successful for Russia than a similar event two years ago in Brisbane. Let me remind you, the atmosphere is then determined by factors such as the incident a few months earlier the joining of Crimea to Russia and the outbreak of armed conflict in the Donbass. Both caused shock and rejection of the leaders of most of the G20 countries.
In this regard, some of the world’s leaders have taken then a rather sharp diplomatic demarches in respect of arriving at the summit of the Russian President. This time was nothing like this (except for the hiccup with the handshake between Vladimir Putin and Theresa may, which was later in Moscow explained by the haste and forgetfulness of the new British Prime Minister).
Moreover, Vladimir Putin’s long-awaited meeting with his American counterpart, Barack Obama. However, on the eve of the summit the US announced the extension of sanctions against Russia. That was obviously a clear indication of the position of the American side before talks with the Russian leader.
On the sidelines of the G20 and China held informal talks of the Russian President with the leaders of Germany Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande. Though not within the “Normandy format”, and each individually. Despite the fact that one of the main topics for discussion were the same – the resolution of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
The EU, like the US, has sent his mark Russian leader, just a couple of days before the summit began extending its sanctions against the Russian Federation. As has been said, “without discussion”, that is, all 28 States of the EU were unanimous on this issue.
Still, the sheer boycott and demonstrative gestures towards Vladimir Putin at this time was not. Does this mean a breakthrough diplomatic blockade, as has already hastened to declare some commentators in Moscow? Apparently, it is too early to say, because the performance of those meetings was, like, zero. In any case, about any particular agreements are not reported.
The fact that the success of such summits is determined not so much by the fact of the meetings of certain leaders, how many actual steps that follow after them. So, here in favor of Russia has said nothing.
What does it mean? Numerous reports in the Russian media, which claimed that the leaders of key EU States – Germany and France, is about ready to announce the lifting of sanctions and the agreement with the Russian position on Ukraine was nothing more than stuffing information.
As for the disruption of the meeting in the “Normandy format” supposedly because of the Ukrainian saboteurs in the Crimea, the West turned away from Ukraine and did not believe Moscow. To turn the “channel four” in the “channel three”, that is, to hold this meeting without the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko did not come out. The leaders of France and Germany to discuss Ukraine without the Ukrainian President refused. In the end, on the sidelines of the summit of “twenty” were only two bilateral meetings of an Advisory nature, on which no principal decision on Ukraine was taken.
On the Eastern direction of Russian diplomacy especially boast of nothing. Shortly before the G20 summit in the Russian media actively exaggerated the theme of almost breakthrough in Russian-Japanese relations, or, at least, Japan’s willingness to soften its position on the “Northern territories”. However, despite demonstrative steps in the direction of Russia, the official Tokyo continues to believe the disputed Islands and their as was not ready even to discuss the question of whether to live there the current population after their return, under Japanese jurisdiction.
Vladimir Putin on the eve of a meeting with Prime Minister of the Japanese government Shinzo Abe in Vladivostok once again stated: “we do not sell territories.” In fact, this position means that no progress in Russian-Japanese relations will not, and any Japanese investment, we can not count, because the return of the Islands to the Japanese is the cornerstone of their relationship with Russia. Such their position has been for the last 70 years and no changes are anticipated.
Until we see a completely unanimous position of the West, including Japan, in relation to today’s Russia and its exchange rate. That offers hope, at least, in the foreseeable future, to drive a wedge into this “indestructible block”, although the Russian side was counting on it and counting.
Our last hope – the BRICS (an informal club of the largest developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) also does not happy. Yes, Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of the States participating in it, but, apparently, those negotiations had only been a matter of Protocol.
This is not surprising. At the moment BRICS is largely organization-dummy. No, of course, China and India powerful growing economy. But what does this have to do with Russia today? Trade with China, the Russian Federation over the past year fell by 35%. Military Alliance with Beijing? Dreams, nothing more… Not to mention the fact that if such an Alliance took place, led to the one who is now objectively much more powerful. That is, China.
Cooperation of Russia with India, in particular, on the military aspects, behind similar the country’s cooperation with the United States. About Brazil while generally you can forget. Our great friend Dilma Rousseff finally removed from power by impeachment. About her successor, the current acting President Michel Temer local journalists write that he “knows nothing about the G20, Russia, China, BRICS, the strategic relationship. It is, in fact, opposed to the BRICS…
South Africa? Until this country does not play any role in international politics, but even loud words of encouragement from the leader, we seem to also have not waited.
“The icing on the cake” is made at the decision of the Pechersk district court of Kyiv about the arrest of the Minister of defence of Russia Sergey Shoigu. It is clear that, owing to the impracticability, it must be considered rather as a symbolic, not a legal act. But overall it also falls to the Treasury – as a complement to other demarches against Russia, which does not add optimism.
What remains?
We see the strong position of the West on the Ukrainian issue, that he did not intend to “change” to the middle East. However, perhaps Russia will be able to negotiate with the Americans on joint action in Syria, although Washington has once again demonstrated that it is not mixed its position on the fight against militants with the position in relation to the settlement of the Ukraine. In General, not a lot…
Alexander Zelenin
