European attempts to woo leaders from the Global South didn’t work out as hoped for during an EU-Indo Pacific Summit on Feb. 2 in Brussels. According to a report in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, a number of foreign leaders criticized the double standards of Western countries when it comes to Ukraine and Gaza.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said: “I appeal to all of you to listen to your heart and do the right thing, stop the atrocities in Gaza, in Palestine.” “No state is above the law,” she insisted, adding that “consistency with values and actions reflect sincerity of moral high ground … it shows who we actually are.”
Marsudi also urged European countries to not withdraw their financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also voiced criticism of Western policy. “We represent the sentiment of the Global South, that there’s double standards when it comes to the Middle East. The conflict needs to be looked at on a merit-based order. There can’t be double standards for what is happening in Ukraine and Middle East,” Sabry said.
