"People in the Global South might not care about the fates of Russia and China any more than those in the West do, were it not for the constant sweet sounds of the so-called “multipolarity” coming from their direction. We are constantly being led to believe—especially from Moscow—that Russia and China are determined champions of the end of the unipolar world order, that is, the Pax Americana. Yet the actions that were supposed to follow these fine words speak a very different language, namely that of renunciation, betrayal, apathy, and trickery.

We can confidently bury the fairy tale of Putin and Xi as saviors of the world."