Washington’s self-declared goal to spread democracy globally is being undermined by the failure of its values at home, a top official from Russia’s Security Council has claimed amid strained relations between the two states.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, First Deputy Secretary Yuri Averyanov slammed the recent US-hosted ‘Summit for Democracy,’ insisting that “American elites are seeking to persuade themselves that their country is still the only superpower, that its global dominance is unchallengeable, and that the entire world aligns itself with Washington only.”
He added that “there is a saying in Russia that those who cannot do something themselves teach others instead. This is what the United States is doing: they have failed to build democracy at home but are very zealous to do it in other countries.”
“What else can the leaders of the US do? They can only play ideological games in a bid to persuade themselves and others that the US is still an example of democracy and has the moral right to decide which countries fit into this example … and which cannot be called democratic at all,” the Russian official said.
Averyanov’s remarks came after the virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ was held, organized by Washington, last week. Representatives from 110 countries were invited to meet via videoconference. Russia, China and Turkey, however, did not appear on the guest list.
Former Soviet republics Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Ukraine received invitations, as did a handful of countries deemed by some international observers to be undemocratic, such as Angola, DR Congo and Iraq.
The spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, criticized the summit last Thursday, arguing that its sole purpose was for creating a new group that will champion the interests of the “American regime” abroad.
According to her, “the United States is dismantling the system of international relations, which is based on international law and the central role of the UN, for the sake of creating its own comfort zone, which it intends to dominate single-handedly.”
Moscow has openly criticized the US for promoting values abroad that it claims to lack at home. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia was willing to discuss human rights if President Joe Biden wishes, but drew attention to people accused of the Capitol Riots in January and protecting their rights.