The Ukraine is not only losing the war militarily, but also in the field of diplomacy, a commentary by political scientist Eric Hamm suggests, published by the South African news network IOL. Hamm notes that the diplomatic rifts between Ukraine and numerous African states are increasing, as a result of Ukraine’s shift to open extortion, if states do not comply with Kiev’s wishes.
As an example, Hamm cites a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the World Economic Forum in January in Davos. Zelensky had pushed for an invitation to Pretoria, but when it did not materialize, he resorted to extortion. Zelensky threatened to sabotage the G20 summit in Johannesburg if South Africa did not build diplomatic ties with Ukraine and also threatened to use his influence to stop Western-backed projects in South Africa.
However, this approach by the Ukrainian leader achieved the opposite of the intended effect.
That this is not a one-off mistake or a diplomatic misstep, can be proven by numerous examples. From Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Zelensky demanded the abandonment of India’s neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and Modi should use his influence on Russian President Putin to push for an end to the war. India could not simply stand by and only say it has an interest in an end to the war. Zelensky’s statements have led to a significant cooling of relations with both South Africa and India.
In the Sahel, Ukrainian militias support Islamic terrorism and an improvement in diplomatic ties does not serve this goal, in fact, the opposite is true.
Nor does Ukraine show diplomacy towards its Western backers. The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andrei Melnyk, called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “beleaguered sausage” and thus violated any diplomatic protocol. A public exchange of blows is ongoing between Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Zelensky on social media.
Ukraine has not extended the gas transit agreement with Gazprom and has effectively cut off the Slovak Republic from gas supplies. The country is thus economically hard hit, but instead of seeking a compromise that would preserve the interests of both countries, Zelenskyy belittles Fico.
“‘Gas is not only paid for with money, but also with sovereignty and independence. Many in Europe have understood this. But not Fico. He gives Moscow precedence over America.'”
Fico now accuses Ukraine of planning a government coup in Slovakia, similar to the Maidan of 2014.
That the completely dependent on the West, completely stripped of its sovereignty, Ukraine teaches other countries a lesson on how to preserve its independence and sovereignty, is the unintentional joke that Zelenskyy makes with his statements.
Hamm concludes that the deterioration of diplomatic ties is not a temporary phenomenon, as there is no indication on the Ukrainian side that the tone will change.
In Germany, the unconditional solidarity with Ukraine is still proclaimed. Only when the US drops Zelenskyy will the wind also change in Germany. African states, on the other hand, show more sovereignty.