How the war on Gaza is tilting global power toward Russia, China: WSJ
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Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb calls the unfolding situation a "shifting and moving world order."
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing in February 2022. (AFP)
According to The Wall Street Journal, the current Israeli bombardment of Gaza enables Moscow and Beijing to stand in solidarity with Palestine and take advantage of the US distraction and involvement in the ongoing aggression on Gaza.
Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb called the situation a "shifting and moving world order," explaining that “when the U.S. leaves power vacuums, someone is going to fill those vacuums.”
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned "Israel" against implementing a siege on Gaza reminiscent of the Leningrad siege by Nazi Germany.
He expressed concerns that a ground offensive in Gaza would result in an unacceptably high number of civilian casualties. Long story short, Putin was attempting to indirectly compare Israelis with Nazis.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that the war on Gaza would strengthen the narrative for Russia against the West.
China, like Russia, will not be shy to condemn "Israel". Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has attributed the rapidly escalating situation in the Middle East to a lack of justice for the Palestinian people, explaining during a call with Celso Amorim, the chief advisor of Brazil’s presidency, that “the crux of the matter is that justice has not been done to the Palestinian people."
Antoine Bondaz, a China expert at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, expressed that Beijing will keep its interest in mind, and with what is occurring in Palestine, the US will inevitably look like a key player in the instability; something that will bolster China’s image as a peacekeeper.
A blow to India
The war is also a blow to India, which announced plans with the US to create a corridor rivaling China's Belt and Road initiative.
Ashok Malik, chair of the India practice at the Asia Group, expressed that India has "invested a lot in the Middle East generally, and especially with Israel and key Arab countries such as the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia."
For many nations in Europe, in addition to straining regional relationships and diverting attention from Ukraine, an escalation of the war might also trigger an energy crisis, potentially undermining Middle Eastern alternatives to Russian oil and gas.
If Lebanon joins the war, this could, in turn, drag Iran into the equation, and this would blow up the war and possibly force the US to offer further support for "Israel".
This could mean that the weapons being delivered to Kiev will have to be shared with "Tel Aviv", something that may prove difficult after many Republicans expressed cutting aid to the country.
Ivo Daalder, chief executive of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a former US ambassador to NATO, warned that "if you want to vote against Ukraine, you’ve got to vote against Israel too, and no one is willing to do that."
