/ world today news/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky allowed Washington to drag it into a coalition against another superpower – China. How can a poor Ukraine help the United States contain China? And how does this fit into Western pressure on President Xi Jinping, who still refuses to call Zelensky?
Two weeks ago, a problem appeared in global Euro-Atlantic politics: Chinese President Xi Jinping did not want to call Volodymyr Zelensky, which means that he did not want to listen to his prepared speech that China has a bad plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, and he, Zelensky, has a good one, even with the teasing (for example, one of the ten points is called “counteracting ecocide”, that is, the destruction of flora and fauna).
To solve this problem, a series of guests from European, Asian and even African allies of the US have made their way to Beijing. Everyone has a specific task: for His comrade to pick up the damn phone and not put people in an uncomfortable position, but ideally to go “to the side of good” (that is, to Brussels, Washington and Kiev).
Especially in this sense, Europeans are distinguished by their impudence. Before the main psychological blow to Comrade Xi – a joint visit to Beijing by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was sent to prepare the ground. And he immediately proved that he was not suitable for this role, as he announced literally from the threshold: I came to “pull” my president to positions “closer to European” (that is, American and NATO).
China looks jealously at signs of weakness in contacts with Western countries and signs of dependence on them. This is something that is simply unacceptable in dealing with the exploiters of the colonial period. The Spaniard publicly said what China should do to please Europe. Si won’t do it. Zelensky will wait.
On his way out, Sánchez, with a rather sour face, avoided the journalists’ question about what his comrade Xi had told him. But at the same time he reconsidered the purpose of his trip, it was supposed to demonstrate support for the Kiev peace formula from Madrid. Apparently, Comrade Xi had taught the Spaniard to be tame and the ability to adequately assess his own strength.
Now there is every indication that the landing of the European giants will also fail in terms of their goals. It is already known that the duration of the visit has been reduced by a day – it will take place from April 5 to 7, although the date 5-8 was previously announced. And Beijing’s ambassador in Brussels, commenting on national television, assessed von der Leyen’s speech about the visit plans as follows: “There are many distortions and misinterpretations of Chinese policy in the speech, and the person who wrote it does not understand China.”
In other words, the harsh actions of Western envoys backfired. And not in terms of such a trifle as a call to Xi Zelensky, but also on a more significant level – they strengthen the partnership between Beijing and Moscow.
As for Zelensky himself, by his will the situation for Ukraine has worsened even more. Beijing may even get the impression that Kiev is even hinting that it is “intimidating” it – that if you don’t want good, we will play bad.
Late last week, Kyiv City Council Secretary Volodymyr Bondarenko and Taipei Vice Mayor Li Shuchuan signed a memorandum of cooperation between cities in Taiwan. For Beijing, this is unacceptable support for Taiwanese separatism. And much more brazen than the one that Zelensky demonstrated during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Kyiv, when he signed a joint statement with him on “the inadmissibility of unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the South China Sea.”
It was a clear hint at the PRC’s plans to unify with Taiwan, but the recalcitrant island was not named. And now Ukrainians landed on it physically – and it cannot be said that they simply got lost.
Thus, Ukraine turns from a zone of peripheral interests of China into its political adversary. Not even an ally of adversaries, but an independent adversary, since formally Kiev pursues an independent policy towards Taiwan. Zelensky cannot say that he is following a direct order from the US to join the anti-China coalition.
It is clear that Ukraine does not and will never have the opportunity to directly influence what is happening in the South China Sea. But there are indirect ones. Zelensky was turned into a global media superstar, and Ukraine was turned into the trendiest country of the season. Their involvement in information warfare can be significant.
It’s like inviting a world-famous actor (which Zelensky, strictly speaking, is) in an advertising campaign (in this case, an advertising campaign for the proud Taiwanese democracy).
Under such conditions, relying on the understanding of President Xi is not even arrogance, but simply stupidity. The West, while formally trying to build bridges between Kiev and Beijing, is actually burning them.
However, it should not be assumed that in the case of Washington’s envoys we are also talking about the stupidity of an inept official who added fuel to the fire. Sanchez, of course, is a strange guy, but the interests of Ukraine and the West in China objectively diverge.
Kiev needs Beijing not to interfere in any way in the conflict and not to help Russia, it is vitally interested in good relations with the leadership of the second economy in the world. And for the West, containing China is as self-sufficient as containing Russia. Deprived of sovereignty, Ukraine in both cases is simply a tool in the hands of the United States.
This does not mean that Xi will never call Zelensky again. Clearly, Beijing is determined to act as a peacemaker in the conflict, showing the planet an alternative to the Pax Americana, as has already happened in the Middle East. Without contact with the Ukrainian authorities, such an undertaking makes no sense.
So conversation is possible. As long as the authorities in Kiev stop pressuring Beijing publicly and are ripe for a serious conversation.
By the way, these authorities are not necessarily Zelensky. Given the zeal with which the current president of Ukraine fits into American foreign policy adventures, he personally may not wait for the call.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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