Are US and EU Hypocrite While Treating Russia Like "Pariah State?"…

Key Takeaways:

Russia has found itself isolated by the US-led Western alliance for its invasion of Ukraine
Russia did not attend the World Economic Forum in Davos for the second year in a row
The West's attempts to declare Russia a pariah state also shows their hypocrisy

The West, led by the United States & the European Union, have moved to make Russia a pariah state for its invasion of Ukraine. Western hypocrisy — *Russia has increasingly become isolated thanks to its year-old invasion of Ukraine. Photo by Jaunt and Joy*

YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine has left Moscow isolated. The United States and its partners in the European Union (EU) have initiated heavy clampdowns and sanctions on the Kremlin.

Russia’s isolation and pariah status became even more visible in the just-concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. But it has also brought the hypocrisy of the West to the forefront.

Between 16-20 January, when the world met for this year’s forum, Russia was again nowhere to be seen. The iconic “Russia House,” which hosted several high-end meetings between the Russian Government officials, oligarchs, and the business community, was also missing.

Instead, it had become one of the three buildings that India had booked for its delegation.

During last year’s Davos forum (May 22-26), a Ukrainian oligarch had rented the building and dubbed it the “Russian War Crimes House.” Visitors could see several pictures depicting Kremlin’s criminal actions in Ukraine, which became the main attraction.

But that was just months after Vladimir Putin decided to launch his “special military operation” in February 2022. Almost a year since then, Russia’s isolation has only worsened.

The theme of this year’s forum was “Cooperation in a fragmented world.” But can the global economy function for long without Russia at the table? How soon before the world welcomes the Kremlin with open arms and resumes business as usual?

Besides, if the West is serious about declaring Russia a pariah state, why do these nations still host Russian embassies in their capitals? Sounds like they are more than happy to work with the Kremlin shortly, if not now.

West’s policy to isolate Russia till it becomes a pariah state

The fact that Russia has found itself cornered is not surprising.

In the early days of the invasion, US President Joe Biden announced that he was working with allies on a long-term strategy to isolate and weaken Moscow. The European Union also drafted a strategy to combat Russia.

Its steps included “isolating Russia internationally, imposing and implementing restrictive measures against Russia and preventing their circumvention, to prevent it from waging war.”

The collective West has sanctioned Russian oligarchs, politicians, industrialists, and blacklisted Kremlin loyalists. Some countries have even expelled Russian diplomats to protest Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

*Russia is banned from attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.*

Moreover, over 1,000 companies have curtailed operations in Russia, according to the Yale School of Management.

All these have made Russia a pariah state, making it untouchable politically. Countries and individuals having relations with the Kremlin earn the collective frown of the international community.

Western Hypocrisy at play against Russia

The crackdown on Russia shows the hypocrisy of the collective West. While these countries fake concerns for human rights and international law, they are selective in applying them to everyone.

In places where it suits them, these “champions of democracy” are more than happy to go to bed with some of the most authoritarian regimes in the world. Of course, while they are at it, they also close their eyes on the crimes these countries commit, whether on their soil or in neighboring countries.

The collective West, led by the United States, maintains good relations with other autocratic countries. So why is it treating Russia as a pariah state for its actions in Ukraine? — *Hypocrisy! The collective West, led by the United States, maintains good relations with other autocratic countries. Map Credit: Freedom House*

The United States, for example, is happy to cooperate with Saudi Arabia, even if everyone knows how bad their human rights are. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) refuses to expel Turkey when its autocratic leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan jails journalists, brutally crush opposition, and invades neighboring countries.

The European Union (EU) is happy to call Azerbaijan its “reliable partner” because it relies on it for oil and gas supplies. Autocratic President Ilham Aliyev inherited power from his father after his death in 2003. Collectively, his family has ruled the country for over 40 years.

Europe has also opted to ignore the fact that Azerbaijan increased its gas imports from Russia while increasing its imports to the EU. Aliyev is re-selling Russian gas to these countries who try to make everyone believe they have “sanctioned” the Kremlin. It is nothing but the hypocrisy of the West at play.

If overthrowing democratically elected Governments was not enough to stain the US, it also has a soft spot for dictators. It provides military assistance to over 70% of the global authoritarian regimes.

Moreover, it has great diplomatic ties with almost all countries categorized as “not free” by the Freedom House. How else do you define hypocrisy?