Over the past week, some individuals have been assessing Center Jap international locations' responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine "via the lens of the US" and Europe, Newsweek podcast host Jason Greenblatt stated on a Thursday episode of his present "The Diplomat."

Greenblatt, who served because the White Home envoy to the Center East underneath former President Donald Trump, stated that "neither" of these methods for deciphering the area's responses to the army battle is "applicable."

"No nation within the Center East has the heft and energy of the US, so judging any nation there as if they will act like the US is improper," Greenblatt stated. "Judging any nation within the Center East by the actions of Europe is equally improper. This battle is in Europe."

Ukraine Middle East The Diplomat
"The Diplomat" host Jason Greenblatt explores the Center East perspective of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Above, the Ukrainian flag waves in entrance of smoke rising from a bombed warehouse within the city of Stoyanka, west of Kyiv, on March 4.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP by way of Getty Photos

Russia's February 24 invasion has been condemned by the U.S. and plenty of allied international locations, a few of which have imposed financial sanctions on Russia in an effort to discourage additional army escalation. Whereas Greenblatt stated he believes President Joe Biden's administration was "too gradual to react," the U.S. response has grow to be "appropriately stronger."

"I believe it should develop stronger nonetheless, as I do not see [Russian] President Putin stopping primarily based on what has been thrown his method to date," Greenblatt stated.

In distinction, the Center East is "a special place," Greenblatt added.

"Nearly every nation within the Center East lives every day with threats and risks that we will not perceive or estimate. And Russia is entangled in these threats and risks in a method that solely the leaders in these international locations can really consider and perceive," he stated.

He later pointed to the worldwide reliance on vitality and Russia's function as a big provider to Europe. Russia is among the world's prime three producers of oil, with an estimated 11 % of oil produced in 2020 coming from Russia, in line with U.S. Power Info Administration knowledge.

Greenblatt referenced feedback made final week by Qatar's vitality minister, who warned earlier than Russia's army battle with Ukraine escalated that it might not be attainable for anybody nation to make up for the quantity of gasoline Russia gives Europe if that offer immediately wanted to get replaced.

"There are a lot of issues that the international locations within the Center East have to contemplate by way of standing by Ukraine, but in addition defending themselves, their residents and the world's vitality markets," Greenblatt stated.

Preliminary sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. didn't particularly goal Russian oil exports. Shortly after the invasion started, Biden acknowledged issues about how the army battle may additional drive up already excessive gasoline costs throughout the U.S. and stated his administration would use "each device at our disposal to guard American households and companies from rising costs on the gasoline pump."

"Let's not ignore that we, too, make decisions that is sensible for us Individuals, at the same time as we rightly stand by Ukraine," Greenblatt stated.

Within the Center East, Greenblatt stated many international locations will "want time for a deep, considerate evaluation as to the way to proceed, regardless of how a lot they could stand with the individuals of Ukraine and in opposition to Russia's invasion." That evaluation "will change over time," he stated, including that the responses by the U.S. and European international locations will equally evolve within the days and weeks to return.

Trying again on how international locations within the Center East have responded to the invasion of Ukraine to date, Greenblatt stated critics ought to "take a step again."

"Finally, I believe international locations within the Center East such because the UAE, Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and others shall be on the proper facet of historical past right here," Greenblatt stated. "However we have now to offer them the time and the area to rigorously work via these advanced points to make sure they do not endanger their very own residents and residents and attempt to keep away from different issues—people who they will predict and the unpredictable."