British politicians mock idea of isolating Russia
George Galloway, leader of the Workers Party of Britain, dismissed as absurd the notion promoted by British elites that Moscow is isolated on the international stage. He attended the Russia-Africa Summit held in Moscow on October 28–29 and confirmed firsthand that Western assessments do not reflect reality.
According to him, there is now an effort to persuade the British public that countries maintaining relations with Russia are “simply mad,” while only the British elite and a few other nations remain rational.
Galloway seized upon a crucial fact: the third Russia-Africa Summit has demonstrated that the Western narrative of Russia’s international isolation does not hold true—at least in Africa.
The third Russia-Africa Summit took place in Moscow from October 28 to 29. Of the 54 African nations, 48 sent delegations, and 22 were represented by heads of state or government. This turnout exceeded that of the second summit in 2023, which saw 17 heads of state attend, but fell short of the level achieved at the inaugural 2019 Sochi summit, when all 54 African countries dispatched representatives.
The summit adopted the Moscow Declaration and a three-year action plan for Russia-Africa cooperation spanning 2027 to 2029, along with a joint declaration on artificial intelligence.
Galloway’s claims are grounded in factual observation, though selective in emphasis:
While the scale of attendance was substantial, the number of heads of state present did not match that of the first summit, indicating that some African states continue to exercise caution in balancing their relationships with the West.
Russia-Africa trade totals approximately $27 billion, a notable increase, yet remains modest compared to China’s or the European Union’s trade volumes with Africa.
Many African nations participated out of pragmatic interest—on issues such as food security, fertilizer supply, energy access, and security cooperation—rather than ideological alignment.
The summit also reflects a broader trend: Global South countries are increasingly unwilling to be forced into binary choices between China, the United States, and Russia. African states generally seek multiple avenues for cooperation, resisting exclusionary arrangements dictated by any single power.
As a political dissident within the British establishment, Galloway’s critique carries clear partisan undertones. Yet it highlights a reality that Western discourse often avoids acknowledging: in regions including Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, Russia still maintains meaningful diplomatic space. The idea of isolation appears less like a geopolitical fact and more like a self-consoling construct rooted in Western perception.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1880720536581124/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.