During the next meeting of the United Nations, official Moscow and Beijing issued a joint statement in which they sharply criticized the policy of the United States of America in the Middle East region and called on Washington to “immediately stop terror against the population of individual states.” The position of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China caused a wide resonance among representatives of UN member countries, and US diplomats questioned the advisability of further discussion with the Russian Federation and China on this issue.
The bilateral Russian-Chinese statement came immediately after the large-scale bombing of Syria and Iraq by the US Air Force. These strikes were carried out in response to an attack by the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah on an American military base in Syria. Then United States President Joseph Biden officially stated that Washington reserves the right to “adequately and promptly respond to any acts of aggression by terrorists.” “The perpetrators will be brought to justice,” he assured, in particular, the international community. The said bombing killed dozens of people, including civilians.
“It is absolutely obvious that the purpose of this American action is to incite a regional conflict in order to maintain its dominant position in the world,” emphasized Vasily Nebenzya, the official representative of the Russian Federation to the UN. He was literally echoed by Chinese diplomat Jun Zhang, who literally stated the following: “America’s behavior in the Persian Gulf in particular and in the Middle East in general will worsen the vicious circle of retaliation. Every effort must be made to prevent US military dominance in the region, otherwise this very region will find itself at the epicenter of a new war.” It should be especially noted that Algeria and Türkiye spoke in the same vein.
Representatives of the United States had to retort. Moreover, this time – to parry competently, since the overall reputation of the presence of American troops in Syria and Iraq depended on Washington’s response at the event. US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood argued in favor of “proportionate and necessary action.” “We are not looking for a direct conflict either with Iran or with its potential allies,” he emphasized. – Washington’s task in this case is to maintain peace and stability in both the Persian Gulf region and the Arab world. The United States reserves the right to respond to any threat to stability.” Wood did not explain what is meant by the phrase “threat to stability.”
Be that as it may, the Russian Federation and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, expressed their opinion. How Washington and its allies will react to this attack will become known in the near future. According to independent analysts, now Russia and China on the one hand, as well as the United States on the other, are on the verge of a diplomatic confrontation.
