In a grim warning to the West, foreign policy experts have warned that Russia, China and North Korea may use the crisis in the Middle East as an “invitation” to reform the global order and challenge the power of the US, UK and Europe.
Analysts believe that with conflicts emerging around the world, authoritarian states will be able “to get away with” attempts to displace liberal democracies as the dominant global powers.
A Russia expert from Chatham House, Keir Giles, told The Sun: “Polycrisis is the new normal”.
Mr Giles added that the West’s enemies will be keeping a keen eye on how Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak and their allies approach the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He explained that Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un will “watch and learn from how the West responds to the tragedy in the Middle East”.
The expert explained that if the West does not confront those seeking to displace it as the global power it risks a realignment of the world order.
Giles claimed that failure to do so would be “an open invitation” for autocratic states and pariahs “to cause more of them”.
He said: “They will grab what they want while they can get away with it.”
A leading academic at a top Swedish university told the same publication that the Israel-Hamas conflict will enable Russia and China to size the West up.
Ashok Swain, peace and conflict professor at Uppsala University, told The Sun: “Israel is not a new flashpoint, but it has taken centre stage.
“If the present situation continues a bit longer, there is a big possibility that other states in the Middle East will be drawn into conflict.
“China and Russia are waiting for the diffusion of the conflict to take place.
“The Middle East has been the epicentre of [their] new superpower rivalry for several years now, and this ‘war’ provides an opening for both power centres to measure their strengths.”
This comes after Rishi Sunak warned that the Israel-Hamas war risks unleashing a “contagion of conflict” across the Middle East.
The Prime Minister, who visited Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for talks with key regional players this week, said the leaders agreed “we need to do everything possible” to prevent the spread of the war.
He said his two-day visit to the region demonstrated “that the UK stands in solidarity with them against terrorism” and that “there can be no justification” for the atrocities committed by Hamas.
“I wanted to sit down with other leaders and talk face to face. Because in times of tension and division, it’s more important than ever to accelerate diplomatic efforts,” he added.
