The West is losing influence

"It should be considered that many important states do not follow Western Ukraine policy. The Middle East is just one spectacular example.

The three summit meetings that took place on different parts of the world on Friday clearly document how world politics is changing. The G-7 countries that met in Japan have evolved from an informal economic club into a West alliance that is actively containing Russia and preparing for a confrontation with China.

China, meanwhile, is taking advantage of its Russian ally's problems to reach into Central Asia, having recently expanded its influence in the Gulf. Selenskyj has to go there again because he cannot count on the United States being able to bring the Arab world to Ukraine's side. Russia has been expanding its position in the region for a long time.

None of this is good news for the West, which is finding it difficult to recognize the extent of its own loss of importance. The tough sanctions against Russia are having no effect [1], and the fact that many important states are not following the Western model should give cause for concern. The Middle East, where not only Syria but also Iran is increasingly finding its way out of isolation, is just one spectacular example of how America in particular is losing weight.

This development cannot be stopped, it is a consequence of globalization. But how to deal with it deserves more debate, especially in Germany."

 1. The International Energy Agency says:

"Russia is exporting more oil than at any time from the start of the Ukraine's story."