There is in Western capitals considerable confusion, disappointment and dismay at much of the world’s reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.
The unwillingness of many governments to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, despite their simultaneous insistence that sovereignty is the core principle of international law and order, is a head-scratcher.
There is a raft of reasons for the hesitancy, some of which are, sadly, understandable. Recent conversations have highlighted one issue that gets less attention, at least in the United States: anti-Americanism. There is a virulent strain of this sentiment that inclines even countries with a lot to lose to distance themselves from Washington and its policies. This has profound implications for the geopolitical competition that is ever more central to world politics.