Russia has stated that the United States made a correct decision by recognizing that democracy or anything else cannot be enforced by force.
The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, remarked in an interview with the Russian channel "Zvezda" today that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement about Washington not using force to overthrow regimes was indeed a "correct decision." Zakharova said on Wednesday: "Finally, the United States has made a correct decision. I would like to point out that democracy or anything else cannot be activated by force." She confirmed that there cannot be any means used to activate anything in sovereign countries without their desire, without their official consent, and without respecting their territorial integrity and independence. The spokesperson emphasized that Washington should read the UN Charter again and be guided by it.
Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the new U.S. administration would not promote democracy in the world through military interventions and regime changes. Blinken affirmed that President Joe Biden's administration will seek to change previous approaches to regime change in other countries from costly military interventions to diplomatic dialogues. He remarked that "previous U.S. interventions distorted the reputation of democracy and lost the trust of the American people," stressing that "we will do things differently... we will not promote democracy through costly military interventions or by trying to overthrow authoritarian regimes by force. We have tried these tactics in the past. Despite good intentions, they did not succeed."
He added: "The efforts of the Biden administration will aim to shape a foreign policy that contrasts with Donald Trump's 'America First' isolationism, while also seeking to avoid criticisms that the United States intervenes in every country around the world from Asia to Africa to Latin America." However, he argued that "the world does not organize itself," contending that the absence of the United States from the global stage has led to "chaos or alternative leadership undermining American interests and values," pointing out that China was the only country that could "challenge the stable and open international order," adding: "Wherever we withdrew, China filled the void."
