Volodymyr Zelenskiy with Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine's prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, at the summit in Kyiv. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service Handout/EPA.
By Ben Norton – Jul 19, 2024
European Union foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell admitted the West has hypocritical âdouble standardsâ on international law, the Russia-Ukraine-NATO war, Israelâs bombing of Gaza, the US-led invasion of Iraq, and climate change.
The European Unionâs high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, has acknowledged that the West has hypocritical âdouble standardsâ.
Borrell argued that âdiplomacy is the art of managing double standardsâ.
As examples of Western hypocrisy, the top EU diplomat cited international law, the Russia-Ukraine-NATO war, Israelâs bombing of Gaza, the US-led invasion of Iraq, and climate change.
âWherever I go, I find myself confronted with the accusation of double standardsâ, Borrell recalled. âI used to say to my ambassadors that diplomacy is the art of managing double standards. Certainly, something difficult, but it is about [that]: to manage double standardsâ.
The EU foreign-policy chief made these remarks in a talk at Oxford University in May. The EUâs diplomatic service published a transcript of his speech. (Some of the exact wording is slightly different in the transcript, as the website edited Borrellâs comments to correct grammatical errors.)
EU âdouble standardsâ on international law, Israel-Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq
International humanitarian law âshould be the best safeguard against the normalisation of the use of force that we see all over the worldâ, Borrell argued.
He acknowledged that Europe has been hypocritical on this: âI know, however, that to be able to rally the world around those principles, we need to show that we, Europeans, respect them always and everywhere. Is that what we are doing? Well, not to the extent we should. And for Europe, this is a problemâ.
âThe world have not forgotten the war in Iraqâ, Borrell continued, noting that some European countries joined in the US-led invasion, which UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said clearly violated international law.
The EU has also been deeply critical on Israel-Palestine, the foreign-policy chief conceded.
âWhat is now happening in Gaza has portrayed Europe in a way that many people simply do not understandâ, Borrell said. âThey saw our quick engagement and decisiveness in supporting Ukraine and wonder about the way we approach what is happening in Palestineâ.
When foreign countries look at Europe, he acknowledged, âThe perception is that the value of civilian lives in Ukraine is not the same than in Gaza, where more than 34,000 are dead, most others displaced, [where] children are starving, and the humanitarian support [is] obstructedâ.
âAnd the perception is that we care less if United Nations Security Council resolutions are violated, as it is the case by Israel with respect to the settlements, [as opposed to] when it is violated by Russiaâ, Borrell added.
âIf we call something a âwar crimeâ in one place, we need to call it by the same name when it happens anywhere elseâ, implored the top EU diplomat. âOne horror cannot justify anotherâ.
Western hypocrisy on climate change
Borrell likewise addressed Western hypocrisy on climate change, given that rich capitalist countries in the Global North are responsible for the majority of historical carbon emissions, but are now putting the burden of the green energy transition onto the Global South, which contributed the least, but already suffers from the worst consequences of global warming.
âWe have to have a look at why the world is feeling some resentment about usâ, stated the EU foreign-policy chief.
âYes, there is a feeling of resentment because people believe that there are different responsibilitiesâ, he added.
âWe, Europeans, have produced about 25% of all cumulated global CO2 emissions since the beginning of the Industrial Revolutionâ, Borrell said.
He noted that Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America have each only contributed 3% of historical carbon emissions.
âSub-Saharan Africa and South Americans [have] almost nothing of the responsibility, and they share the most important and damaging consequencesâ, Borrell stated.
âSo, when we talk about fighting climate change, we have to understand their views and the feeling that this is a problem that someone has created, and others pay the consequencesâ, Borrell said.
âAnd the only possible answer is to provide more resources in order to face this problem. More resources â but it has not been the caseâ, he added, admitting that the rich colonizing nations of the Global North have not honored their promises to provide funding and technology transfer to help the formerly colonized nations of the Global South transition away from fossil fuels.
USA is losing hegemony; âthe world is much more multipolarâ
In his speech at Oxford University, Borrell conceded that âAmerica has lost its status of a hegemonâ, and the Western-dominated order created after World War Two âis losing groundâ.
Today, âthe world is much more multipolarâ, he said, pointing to âmiddle powersâ like India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and TĂźrkiye.
These âmiddle powersâ are âbecoming important actorsâ, Borrell continued. âWhether they are BRICS or not BRICS, they have very few common features, except the desire for getting more status and a stronger voice in the world, as well as greater benefits for their own developmentâ.
âIn order to achieve this, they are maximising their autonomy, not willing to take sides, hedging one side or the other depending on the moment, depending on the questionâ, he added.
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Rise of China changes global economic landscape
The top EU diplomat stated that âChina is becoming a rival for us and for the United Statesâ.
Borrell cited âChina rising to the super-power statusâ as the main reason for the decline of US hegemony.
âWhat China has done in the last 40 years is unique in the history of humankindâ, he confessed. âIn the last 30 years, Chinaâs share of the worldâs GDP, at PPP, has gone from 6% to almost 20%, while we, Europeans, went from 21% to 14% and the United States from 20% to 15%â.
âThis is a dramatic change of the economic landscapeâ, Borrell said.
The statistics he cited are based on data from the International Monetary Fund.
European exceptionalism and fearmongering about Russia
Borrell, whose five-year term as the EUâs top diplomat ends in December, is known for sometimes âsaying the quiet part loudâ â that is, bluntly stating truths that are widely known in elite circles, but typically left unsaid.
In a shockingly straightforward article in February 2024, Borrell acknowledged that the âera of Western dominance has indeed definitively endedâ, as Geopolitical Economy Report noted at the time. The EU foreign-policy chief warned that Europe should not divide the world into âthe West against the Restâ, as âmany in the âGlobal Southâ accuse us of âdouble standardsââ.
In a blunt moment in 2022, he admitted that the Westâs new cold war on China and Russia is not a battle of âdemocracies vs. authoritariansâ, because, as Borrell put it, âOn our side, there are a lot of authoritarian regimesâ.
In a separate speech in 2022, the top EU diplomat discussed how the Westâs âprosperity was based on China and Russiaâ, including âcheap energy coming from Russiaâ, âaccess to the big China marketâ for exports, and âChinese workers with their low salaries, [who] have done much better and much more to contain inflation than all the central banks togetherâ.
Despite the fact that Borrell makes these kinds of frank admissions from time to time, he is by no means a dove. In fact, as the EUâs high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, he has often been quite hawkish.
This is especially the case on Russia. In his May 2024 speech at Oxford University, Borrell claimed that Russia is âthe most existential threat to Europeâ.
He referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as âan existential threat to all of usâ, and called for Western governments to send even more weapons to Ukraine.
Borrell has also at times displayed a very racist, condescending view of the majority of the world population in the Global South.
In an infamous rant in 2022, the EUâs top diplomat argued that âthe world needs Europeâ as a âbeaconâ and beautiful âgardenâ to civilize the barbarous âjungleâ in the Global South, as Geopolitical Economy Report highlighted.
This notorious âgarden versus the jungleâ speech led to global backlash, and Borrell was forced to apologize. But his worldview has not changed since.
In his remarks two years later at Oxford, Borrell again demonstrated a kind of arrogant European exceptionalism.
âThe way of living of the Europeans, this best combination of political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion that the humanity has never been able to invent, is certainly in dangerâ, he said.
Borrell concluded the talk referring to Europeâs system as âthe best combination of political freedom, economic prosperity and social cohesion that humanity has never been able to inventâ.
Ben Norton
Benjamin Norton is the founder and editor of the independent news website Multipolarista, where he does original reporting in both English and Spanish. Benjamin has reported from numerous countries, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia, and more. His journalistic work has been published in dozens of media outlets, and he has done interviews on Sky News, Al Jazeera, Democracy Now, El Financiero Bloomberg, Al Mayadeen teleSUR, RT, TRT World, CGTN, Press TV, HispanTV, Sin Censura, and various TV channels in Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Benjamin writes a regular column for Al Mayadeen (in English and Spanish). He was formerly a reporter with the investigative journalism website The Grayzone, and previously produced the political podcast and video show Moderate Rebels. His personal website is BenNorton.com, and he tweets at @BenjaminNorton.
