American and European sermons on international law are hypocritical

THE hypocrisy of European political leaders knows no bounds. Only last week 20 European countries agreed a joint statement intimating that peace in the Ukraine could not be achieved by “yielding to the aggressor” but must be “grounded in international law and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty”. Who could disagree with such fine sentiments, ritually expressed these days and seemingly devoid of realpolitik?

However, as usual, they do not apply to the situation in Gaza , most European countries being very reluctant to criticise Israel in like terms or to mount a defence of Palestinian sovereignty.

When it comes to tyrants, they have not condemned Benjamin Netanyahu nearly as much as Putin even though his bombing of defenceless civilians amount