(Dan Tri) – Observers say that although the US has tried hard to isolate Russia from the world because Moscow launched a military campaign in Ukraine, this effort still seems to be unsuccessful.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Tehran, Iran on July 19 (Photo: AP).
AP news agency said that since February 24 – when the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, US President Joe Biden’s administration has made efforts to isolate Russia in the international arena.
However, five months have passed and Russian President Vladimir Putin has made several trips to meet world leaders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye – a NATO member country.
On July 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he wanted to have a phone call with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss the prisoner exchange as well as issues related to Ukraine.
According to experts, meetings and phone calls between senior Russian officials and international leaders are raising doubts about whether the US strategy to isolate Russia will succeed.
Currently, the US still believes that Russia is isolated.
The US believes that Russia is trying to strengthen some of its remaining allies and partners, including US opponents like Iran.
On the other hand, in February, the US side declared that there was no point in communicating with Russia because Moscow `is not serious about diplomacy and cannot be trusted`.
Expert Ian Kelly, a retired former diplomat, said that Mr. Blinken’s announcement that he wanted to have a phone call with Mr. Lavrov could be `counterproductive in America’s efforts to isolate Russia.`
In addition, America’s efforts to convince Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries to isolate Russia do not seem to have achieved the results they wanted, according to AP.
Many African, South American and Asian countries may vote against Russia’s military campaign at the United Nations, but not participate in efforts to punish Russia.
In the Middle East, the oil powers also carefully consider their own strategic interests, while still considering Russia as an important, irreplaceable partner in OPEC+.
Russia’s position as an energy `giant`, a power exporting military weapons as well as providing essential products such as raw materials, food, and fertilizers gives them a certain position in the world.
Previously, in a cabinet meeting on July 18, Mr. Putin declared that Russia cannot be isolated from the rest of the world, despite Western sanctions.
