These days, experts both in and out of the US tend to agree that Washington has been resorting to sanctions as the foreign policy tool of choice way too often, thus expanding and strengthening the so-called coalition of American victims. Moreover, this approach tends to be incredibly damaging to the public perception of the United States across the globe, which may prove to be a serious self-inflicted blow to the global dollar system.
As it’s been reported by The Washington Post, a study drafted by the Gibson Dunn law firm shows that the Trump administration blacklisted nearly 1000 people and entities last year. Experts believe that the United States is already well into overreach territory with the list of individuals and entities sanctioned running more than 1100 pages.
As the list of countries sanctioned by Washington increases, their respective leaders start reevaluating the ties their states used to enjoy with the United States, which puts them on the list of the coalition of American victims. First of all, the new package of sanctions on Russia coupled with additional tariffs imposed on Chinese exports resulted in the further strengthening of bilateral ties between Beijing and Moscow. These days, those players have formed the most profound economic and military bond since the last formal split between the two states back in 1979, when Russia was still a part of the Soviet Union. Last year alone, the bilateral trade turnover between those states increased by 20%, with its volume exceeding one hundred billion dollars. But what is even more important is that Russia has taken the position of China’s largest and most reliable supplier of energy resources.
For decades, Russia would refrain from supplying China with its top-notch military equipment in order not to infuriate the West, but things have changed. To add insult to injury, China and Russia have regularly conducting joint military exercises all across Eurasia, form the Sea of Japan to the Mediterranean. China’s new defence minister, Wei Fenghe chose to visit Moscow on his maiden overseas trip in new capacity, and was pretty articulate in promoting the state of bilateral cooperation, while stating that:
The Chinese side has come to show Americans the close ties between the armed forces of China and Russia. We’ve come to support you.
Both Moscow and Beijing are sending clear signals to the United States that they will be not shoved aside on the road to the future world order. It’s curious that among the reasons why the United States has actually managed to win the Cold War was the fact that it managed to draw China over back in 1972. However, even a cursory look at the modern history of international relations makes it obvious, that Russia has also been used by Washington on multiple occasions to apply more pressure on China. However, modern American politicians couldn’t care less about history lessons, as they are determined to carry on their sanctions spree without ever giving a second thought to the possible consequences. By attacking both of these Eurasian giants simultaneously, Washington transforms their close ties into a strategic alliance. And should Washington keep dismissing it, the price it’s going to pay for that one day may simply be inconceivable.
Thanks to its continued rise and obvious ambition to supplant the US, China is a far bigger long-term challenge for America than Russia. No less a figure than Henry Kissinger — the architect of that reconciliation with China in 1972 — has reportedly told Donald Trump that he should be pursuing a “reverse Nixon-China strategy” by seeking to befriend Moscow and isolate Beijing.
But these days the coalition of American victims is no longer limited to Russia and China. The latter, for instance, has been actively encouraging other countries to join the front aimed at undermining Washington’s capacity to dictate its will to the world. In particular, on the eve of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, China’s vice foreign minister, Zhai Junh expressed confidence that Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa will show an adequate answer to the strengthening of protectionist policies on the part of the United States, while stressing that Washington’s trade policies pose a real threat to the global economy. Zhai Junh has also added that the position that BRICS countries occupy is unanimous, as they firmly support multilateral mechanisms of cooperation and trade, that are an exact opposite of unilateral protectionism.
Just recently, an Oxford historian and visiting professor of international relations at Bilkent University in Turkey, Mark Almond tried to provide The Telegraph with a comprehensive answer to the question: Could the victims of Trump’s ‘trade war’ unite against him?
According to his statement, Individually, Russia, Turkey, China, Iran and others are vulnerable, but together they could cause the United States much trouble. Maybe a coalescing of Iran and Turkey could be dismissed as no more viable. But add Russia and China, and they suddenly have a new geopolitical hinterland.
Yet another prominent thinker of our time and a regular contributor to the Asian Times, David Paul Goldman would also analyze the shifting investment flows in both Europe and Asia, as well as the formation of new economic alliances in response to America’s bullying. He came to a conclusion that China and Russia would soon be joined by the EU and Japan, as the latter two entities are also getting increasingly frustrated with Washington’s policies.
In his opinion, that once the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, Germany would announce that it willing to provide Ankara with financial aid, while Qatar would pledge 15 billion dollars in new investment on top of 3 billion dollars in foreign exchange swap line. In turn, Chinese banks are now willing provide billions of dollars in new loans to the cash-strapped Turks.
The Trump administration chides German Chancellor Angela Merkel for buying Russian natural gas through the Nord Stream II pipeline. Merkel summits with Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirms the pipeline arrangement, and also strikes a deal to aid the reconstruction of Syria in cooperation with Russia. Japan’s decision to expand into the Chinese is nothing but yet another step towards America’s isolation.
Back when Donald Trump took office, his childish buffoonery was a constant source of both amazement and amusement for the the international community. But at this point it doesn’t seem they are amused anymore, as Washington pushes one international player after another to submit their national interest to its own will. Therefore, it is hardly surprising to see the coalition of American victims growing day by day, that is now capable of forcing the US into a complete isolation, making the failed hegemon extinct.
Grete Mautner is an independent researcher and journalist from Germany, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”
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