Realism about Russia, great powers and greater self-interest

The spectre of Russian interference as visualised by TVOntario, a Canadian publicly funded English language educational television station

India and China are proving the US president wrong. Joe Biden says Russia is “isolated from the world”. But India and China have been willing, even eager, to welcome Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to their capitals.

The Biden administration says it’s “time to stand on the right side of history…for freedom, democracy and sovereignty with the Ukrainian people, and not funding and fueling and aiding President Putin’s war”.

But India is considering rupee-rouble trade — a throwback to the system that has existed for long periods of time during the 75 years India has been an independent country. On April 1, Mr Lavrov spoke from New Delhi to express gratitude for the support.

Russia, China and other like-minded countries would “move towards a multipolar, just, democratic world order,” said Mr Lavrov.

It wasn’t an April 1 joke.

China, meanwhile, has expr…