LONDON: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday criticized the “abuse” of international sanctions, while Russian President Vladimir Putin scolded the West for provoking a global crisis, with both leaders calling for increased BRICS cooperation.
Xi called on Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) to take responsibility for their economic clout and said they should stand up for a truly multinational international system based on the United Nations.
“We must abandon the Cold War mentality and stop confrontation and oppose unilateral sanctions and abuse of sanctions,” Xi told the BRICS summit through a translator.
“Our meeting today is arriving at a crucial moment of choice for the future of humanity: as major emerging markets and developing countries, BRICS countries must fulfill their responsibility,” Xi said. China has by far the largest economy in the BRICS grouping, accounting for more than 70 percent of the group’s collective $27.5 trillion economic power.
Putin called for stronger BRICS cooperation and took a dig at the West, which he accused of creating a crisis.
Putin said, “Only on the basis of honest and mutually beneficial cooperation can we seek ways out of the crisis situation that has developed in the global economy due to the ill-considered and selfish actions of individual states.” happened.”
He accused the West of “using the financial system” to “correct its mistakes in macroeconomic policy around the world.” Putin has said relations with China are the best ever and announced a strategic partnership with China aimed at countering US influence.
US President Joe Biden has said the West is locked in a battle with autocratic governments like China and Russia.
The United States and European powers blamed Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine as relations with the West fell to the lowest level since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis – including the most severe sanctions in modern history.
But Putin says the West wants to destroy Russia, that economic sanctions are tantamount to a declaration of economic war and that Russia will build ties with other powers such as China and India.
Putin, who describes the Ukraine war as a “special military operation”, blames the United States for humiliating Russia after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and threatening Moscow by expanding the NATO military alliance.
Russia sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 to demean its southern neighbour’s military capabilities, root out dangerous nationalists and protect Russian-speaking regions of two eastern Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine says Russia has initiated an imperial-style land grab and will never cede territory to Russia.
Published in Dawn, June 24, 2022