Trump: India has said it will stop buying Russian oil, and they have promised me.
Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: I don't know.
White House official: India has halved Russian oil purchases.
Indian sources: No decline in purchases has been observed.
……
These days, the "push and pull" between the United States and India has been very interesting.
According to India's news agency Truss, India will accelerate oil imports from Russia in the first half of October due to the increase in energy demand; specialized data companies estimate that India's oil imports to Russia in October are expected to increase by about 20%, reaching 1.9 million barrels a day.
You say yours, I buy mine.
India's choice between tax-prone "bad friends" and real energy benefits is not hard to understand.
When you are "good" in person, you should actually do it. If it was only India, it would be fine. But in fact, more and more countries are disobeying the command of the United States. As the "boss", the "world policeman" seems to be becoming increasingly indifferent to his words--
In the Middle East, the U.S. had just chaired a “peace summit” in the days before, declaring that “the war in Gaza has ended”, turning to Israel for dozens of violations of the ceasefire agreement, and even publicly calling for a “complete resumption of military operations in the Gaza Strip”;
Regarding Europe, CNN said that the atmosphere at the recent US-Ukraine summit was "tense and embarrassing." Ukraine did not obtain the Tomahawk missile it had been longing for, did not receive the promise to "get on the table" for negotiations, and responded coldly to the United States 'proposal for an "on-site ceasefire";
Among NATO allies, Spain once again refused to raise its defense spending to the new standard of 5% of GDP. The White House threatened to impose tariffs on it and kick out of NATO. However, the spokesperson of the European Commission stated that he firmly defended Spain's legitimate interests and prevented it from being threatened by US tariffs;
In Latin America, the United States deployed multiple warships in the waters near Venezuela and launched an attack on a Colombia ship on the high seas. It also said that it would stop aid to Colombia and impose tariffs. The Colombian President replied that he "suggested reading" A Hundred Years of Solitude ". Many Latin American countries and international organizations claimed that the United States seriously violated international law, infringed on the sovereignty of other countries, and threatened regional peace and stability...
What's wrong with this? - The British Guardian column article:
"The ability of the United States to advance various agendas as it pleases is weakening."
Why did it turn out like this? Yuan Zheng, deputy director of the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, summed up several reasons.
First, the domestic and foreign policy of the United States is selfish and short-sighted, both wanting to be “the boss” and not willing to take responsibilities.
From tariff sticks to various "withdrawals", under the banner of "giving priority to the United States", the White House regards the interests of other countries as bargaining chips. I'm afraid allies feel the deepest: the 5% military spending standard only requires NATO allies, not the United States; The NATO summit only talks about the defense spending that the United States cares about, and European security issues are marginalized; Europe is often threatened with tariffs and vague about its own security obligations.
As Dunn, a political scientist at Warwick University, said, more and more countries are recognizing that the United States today is not trustworthy.
Second, the US policy has changed and repeatedly jumped, greatly consuming the international reputation and influence of the United States.
For example, tariffs are capricious and completely become threatening political tools; From claiming that the United States and Iran are "very close" to reaching an agreement to sudden air strikes against Iran, their faces changed rapidly; Choosing sides in mediating international conflicts lacks neutrality and credibility. The White House policy does not stabilize expectations and allows other countries to "obey commands", which is naturally unconvincing.
After all, who is willing to bind his own interests to untold “partners”?
Third, the United States practices hegemonic hegemony internationally.
Since the beginning of this year, from threatening to use "military or economic coercion" to control the Panama Canal and Greenland, to unilaterally renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "U.S. Gulf"; from threatening to "empty" and "take over" Gaza, to threatening Egypt and Jordan with interruption of aid, the White House's aggressive tone and condescending attitude reveal the atmosphere of hegemony and power politics everywhere.
Friedman, a columnist in The New York Times, even said that the foreign policy philosophy of the current US administration is-
“To break the robbery.”
Recently, mass protests broke out across the United States, millions of people walked out on the streets to express dissatisfaction with the policy. This is the third national demonstration that broke out after the new U.S. government took office. Domestic uncertainty, foreign hardness, naturally erodes its international image and "soft power".
In Yuan Zheng's view, international influence is rooted in national strength. It is reflected in the support of hard power, but also in whether it can provide key public goods for global development, maintain world peace and stability with practical actions, take the initiative to shoulder international obligations, actively participate in promoting global governance reforms, and contribute to mankind's move towards common prosperity.
This is obviously not of interest to the White House.
As a result, the scene of the scene will continue to appear in the future.
Text/Zimu
Source: Xiake Island Weixin Official Accounts