There’s been no shortage of reports and commentaries on the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea, and Russia’s role in it. Yet one of the more notable recent developments in the crisis has received surprisingly little attention.
Namely, the BRICS grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) has unanimously and, in many ways, forcefully backed Russia’s position on Crimea. The Diplomat has reported on China’s cautious and India’s more enthusiastic backing of Russia before. However, the BRICS grouping as a whole has also stood by the Kremlin.
Indeed, they made this quite clear during a BRICS foreign minister meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague last week. Just prior to the meeting, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop suggested that Australia might ban Russia’s participation in the G20 summit it will be hosting later this year as a means of pressuring Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.
The BRICS foreign ministers warned Australia against this course of action in the statement they released following their meeting last week. “The Ministers noted with concern the recent media statement on the forthcoming G20 Summit to be held in Brisbane in November 2014,” the statement said. “The custodianship of the G20 belongs to all Member States equally and no one Member State can unilaterally determine its nature and character.”
The statement went on to say, “The escalation of hostile language, sanctions and counter-sanctions, and force does not contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution, according to international law, including the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.” As Oliver Stuenkel at Post Western World noted, the statement as a whole, and in particular the G20 aspect of it, was a “clear sign that [the] West will not succeed in bringing the entire international community into line in its attempt to isolate Russia.”
This was further reinforced later in the week when China, Brazil, India and South Africa (along with 54 other nations) all abstained from the UN General Assembly resolution criticizing the Crimea referendum. Another ten states joined Russia in voting against the non-binding resolution.
In some ways, the other BRICS countries’ support for Russia is entirely predictable. The group has always been somewhat constrained by the animosities that exist between certain members, as well as the general lack of shared purpose among such different and geographically dispersed nations. BRICS has often tried to overcome these internal challenges by unifying behind an anti-Western or at least post-Western position. In that sense, it’s no surprise that the group opposed Western attempts to isolate one of its own members.
At the same time, this anti-Western stance has usually taken the form of BRICS opposition to Western attempts to place new limits on sovereignty. Since many of its members are former Western colonies or quasi-colonies, the BRICS are highly suspicious of Western claims that sovereignty can be trumped by so-called universal principles of the humanitarian and anti-proliferation variety. Thus, they have been highly critical of NATO’s decision to serve as the air wing of the anti-Qaddafi opposition that overthrew the Libyan government in 2011, as well as what they perceive as attempts by the West to now overthrow Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
However, in the case of Ukraine, it was Russia that was violating the sanctity of another state’s sovereignty. Still, the BRICS grouping has backed Russia. It’s worth noting that the BRICS countries are supporting Russia at potentially great cost to themselves, given that they all face at least one potential secessionist movement within their own territories.
India, for example, has a long history of fluid borders and today struggles with potential secessionist movements from Muslim populations as well as a potent security threat from the Maoist insurgency. China suffers most notably from Tibetans and Uyghurs aspiring to break away from the Han-dominated Chinese state. Even among Han China, however, regional divisions have long challenged central control in the vast country. Calls for secession from the Cape region in South Africa have grown in recent years, and Brazil has long faced a secessionist movement in its southern sub-region, which is dominated demographically by European immigrants. Russia, of course, faces a host of internal secessionist groups that may someday lead Moscow to regret its annexation of Crimea.
The fact that BRICS supported Russia despite these concerns suggests that its anti-Western leanings may be more strongly held than most previously believed. Indeed, besides backing Russia in the foreign ministers’ statement, the rising powers also took time to harshly criticize the U.S. (not by name) for the cyber surveillance programs that were revealed by Edward Snowden.
The BRICS and other non-Western powers’ support for Russia also suggests that forging anything like an international order will be extremely difficult, given the lack of shared principles to act as a foundation. Although the West generally celebrated the fact that the UN General Assembly approved the resolution condemning the Crimea referendum, the fact that 69 countries either abstained or voted against it should be a wake-up call. It increasingly appears that the Western dominated post-Cold War era is over. But as of yet, no new order exists to replace it.
Thugs of a feather, flock together.
Fucked of a feather, flock together.
'All tards making money by shifting perception before a planned crash"
Its was Libyan Q-daffy "busting" play that started the ball rolling. The West crossed a Rubicon there in its greed gone viral.
Now Putin is New Count of Monte Cristo and the Brics are cheering the defense of the down trodden under the heels of the arrogant.
When the western legacy is torn to shreds in the demise of entrepreneurial capitalism under the mantra of "greed is good" that has made the Oligarchs the T-Rexs of this Jurassic Park world.
Debt is asset and the FED is father Xmas. So goes the prevalent legend.
Print it and then eat it like cake, while THEY-- the downtrodden-- cry out for bread.
PS : In Machiavellian, imperial plays there are no winners, just losers chasing the golden pot at the end of the rainbow.
This article by Ambrose E-P in the Telegraph lays out a case that China is most definitely NOT behind Russia...
Article date should be 1st. April.
@Tyler .... why is ZH getting infested with this stuff recently ?
Not good for my BP.
Tapering is a lie because the pipeline of 0% loans to the big banks is expanding even as QE winds down.
http://www.bullionbullscanada.com/gold-commentary/26476-debunking-taperi...
French oil giant Total SA (TOTF.PA) is planning to team up with Lukoil (LKOH.MM) on its shale oil projects inRussia as the country resorts to unconventional resources to replace falling production at ageing fields in Siberia, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Lukoil is exploring the massive but unproven Bazhenov formation, which holds the major share of Russia's shale oil reserves, which according to the U.S. Department of Energy is estimated to be the biggest in the world,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/us-total-lukoil-ft-idUSBREA2Q2...
That's why.
Money doesn't buy friendship. It purchases momentary cooperation...
There are millions of chinese living in Russia near China borders due to china population amount. So lets see how Putin will react when those chinese will make refetendum in oreder to anex that part of Russia and add to China
1. It's BRIC, not BRICS. South Africa is a joke and adding it to the BRIC is just tokenistic PC, as usual.
2. the barbarians have been gathering to try and subvert civilisation since Bandung, it's nothing new.
3. BRIC is about as convincing as the all-on-paper Japanese "miracle" economy of the 1980s.
4. One good war and they'll all be working for us again. They always forget that.
Dude, the 1970's is that way.....................>
Whatever the plan is can we just get it over with the suspense is killing me.
What is happening in Ukraine and the unrest in many areas in the world brings into focus the many conflicts that develop when a region decides to change governments often outside the recognized democratic system of voting. In some cases even after an overwhelming vote such as in Crimea the whole process is called into question.
Unfortunately the American civil war did not resolve the issue of succession forever and definitely was not a template for a solution that should be used in countries across the planet. Bottom-line many in politics are slow to give up control and this will not change. The article below delves into the issue of self-rule and succession.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-issue-of-sovereign-borders.html
Raise short term rates and give them ataste of what really happens when credit tightens and dollars become scarce! The US has active movements just as big dumb and vocal and dollar based as the brics except that ours is the Bank or we make more rubles and you happy now you give dollar to Russia. Make Russia strong with gold and dollars tell BRICS we no cut you off because we need you pay please?
Why the BRICS back Russia?Because together maybe they can bring the rest of the world change?
"However, in the case of Ukraine, it was Russia that was violating the sanctity of another state’s sovereignty."
Rubbish. This is Western propaganda. The people of Crimea voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia, thereby exercising their right to self-determination.
The West may or may not think it was a good idea, but it's of no importance.
As for Brazil having a secessionist movement; that may be so but it's hardly active.
Why did the BRICS back Russia? And why will at least the eastern half of Germany back Russia again, as in the old USSR days? Because there is and has been an east-west balance of power since around 364 AD, when the Roman Empire "fell". Of course, it didn't fall, just changed to its next stage. The religious aspect in the Eastern Orthodox ch and the Roman ch carried on. And the Caesars continued in kings, Czars, Kaisers and Emperors. The players have changed, but the dynamic is still there. Soon to change yet again to a OWGovt. No more east-west and no more Dem-Rep.
no more Cath ch and eastern orthodox, but a one world religion. No more eastern gurus and western "science", but a new religion (and the outcasts who stay with the old rugged cross).
another propaganda piece by victoria "fuck the eu" nuland
(Reuters) - NATO studied new steps to bolster its military presence in eastern Europe on Tuesday while saying it saw no sign that Russia was withdrawing tens of thousands of troops from the Ukrainian border.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/01/us-ukraine-crisis-nato-idUSBRE...
fuck these guys are relentless. Putin has more patience than i because i would have just fucking invaded Ukraine by now and told NATO and the EU and the US to fuck off by now.
Although they are trying as hard as they can, even the MSM cannot find er, .... you know, um, evidence of this "troop buildup"....
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/tour-ukraine-russia-bord...
FROM: LUKOIL AND VLADIMIR PUTIN
TO: OBAMA & CO
RE: IRAQ OIL
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING A TRILLION DOLLARS IN IRAQ AND THEN GETTING THE FUCK OUT AND TELLING BUSH AND CHENEY AND EXXON THEY ARE BAD PEOPLE. WE CELEBRATED FIRST OIL WITH AMERKANSKI CHAMPKANSKI - COCA COLA! just kidding about celebrating with Coca Cola bitches. we drank Vodka. Stupid fucking Obama & Co.
Lukoil Starts Iraq Oilfield as Output Reaches 35-Year High
OAO Lukoil (LKOH) started producing crude from Iraq’s second-largest oilfield as the nation boosts output to levels last seen more than three decades ago.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-29/lukoil-starts-iraq-oilfield-as-...