“The instruments and policies of the United States are ineffective,” he boasted. Vladimir Putin during his interview a few days ago with journalist Tucker Carlson. The phrase perfectly reflects the state of mind of the Russian president a few days before the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin has endured the blows and sanctions from the United States and the European Union without breaking a sweat. His economy continues to grow and, although many business avenues and routes have been closed, he has managed to fish in other seas of allied powers that share his ideology of hatred of the West and the destabilization of democratic countries that are world leaders.
Journalist Ana Swanson highlighted in a recent article in The New York Times that “the Russian economy has demonstrated a surprising ability to adapt, thanks in part to its relationship with China” and that in fact “trade between China and Russia reached a record last year, as Russians turned to cars, electronics and Chinese weapons components.”
Putin looks at the resilient indicators of the Russian economy with a smile and at the same time allows himself not to maintain manners with the democratic image of the country he leads, crushing the internal opposition. The humiliation of the US and the EU is thus multiplied by two. Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison under strange circumstances without anyone being able to examine the opponent’s body at the moment. Just three days after his death, in a new challenge to criticism from the West, the deputy director of penitentiary services, Valery Boyarinov, was promoted.
Boyarinov – according to the team of the deceased opponent who works from outside Russia – “personally coordinated the torture committed against him in prison and imposed restrictions on Navalny’s accounts so that he did not buy food, and personally ordered the rest of the torture.” .
Putin struts his stuff before the world and absolutely despises Navalny’s family, ignoring his mother’s pleas, calling his widow rude, and opening a criminal case against his brother.
Yes, from the White House they see this attitude with concern and are not very optimistic about these last months of Biden’s mandate to seek some light in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Nor should they be very happy with the Kremlin’s incessant diplomatic work in Latin America, especially with countries that are making it difficult for the US, such as Venezuela.
This same week, the ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, received the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, with whom he had a private meeting in Caracas to talk about “strategic” cooperation between the two countries.
Maduro stated on his X social network account that the meeting was “fruitful and excellent.” He added that both spoke about different aspects of the bilateral relationship and strengthening “the entire strategic map of comprehensive Russia-Venezuela cooperation.”
The moment when Russia and Venezuela once again declare eternal love for each other is striking. Both countries are at the worst moment in their relationship with the United States. And both Putin and Maduro boast that they do not care or are affected by the sanctions coming from the White House. What’s more, with their staging they show that they are not going to stand still and the Russians will try, for example, to take advantage of the relationship to help their oil industry. The further Caracas moves away from Washington and US companies, the closer Chavismo’s romance with Moscow will become.
How then to break the love story between these two enemies of the US? A couple that, although they do not speak the same language, share interests such as no commitment to democratic values and respect for human rights.
Two years after the indecent invasion of Ukraine, both Republicans and Democrats have to remain firm with the enemy Putin and we hope that Donald Trump shares this after how the Russian leader has behaved with Navalny, whom Trump himself claims to admire. A tough line with Putin but also with Maduro, who must be made clear that the release of opponents and the qualification of María Corina Machado as a candidate are essential before sitting down at a table.
Biden must become the opposite of Cupid – the god of love – and end this marriage of convenience that is doing so much damage to world peace but especially to the Russian people and the Venezuelan people.
