Should Britain lead the confrontation with Russia?

The British government is likely to push forward at the request of the USA, further escalate the conflict and want to build the UK-Poland-Ukraine axis.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss delivered a speech at the Lowy Institute in Australia on January 21, the day before the “reveal” of the Kremlin’s alleged plan to set up a puppet government in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. It was not only about politics against China, but, of course, about Russia, which did not learn the lessons of history.

She announced that more weapons and trainers would be sent to Ukraine and that serious financial measures against the Russian economy and personnel would be discussed with partners in the event of an invasion. She briefly touched upon the fact that the new trilateral relations between Ukraine, Poland and the United Kingdom will be strengthened. A few days ago, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs heard about it TalkPoland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom are “intensifying cooperation in the face of security threats in Central and Eastern Europe.”

This is very interesting, because it means that the UK not only wants to take action against Russia with NATO, but also wants to expand its post-Brexit position as “Global Britain” through its own alliances, as it has already done with Australia and the USA AUKUS Event. The unity of the European Union plays no role here, and Great Britain wants to make a name for itself as the leading power in the struggle over Russia and Ukraine, which is supposed to be covered by Washington, which despite internal disagreements wants to guide its policies and military deployment more forcefully. Against China – and perhaps not as recently as Boris Johnson’s position of power in the UK is collapsing.

The Geographical Strategy Board, a lobbying group that wants to make the UK “stronger”, has one on the spot a map The post on which the new axis is drawn. Closer military cooperation was announced during the visit of British Defense Secretary Wallace to Poland and Ukraine in November 2021. It was mainly about the purchase of British weapons systems for the modernization of Polish (air defense system) and Ukrainian forces (warships). To express our thanks, the United Kingdom has sent 150 military engineers to Poland to support the expansion of border protection, that is, the defense against migrants, at the border with Belarus.

On the same day Truss gave her speech, mentioned The British Times newspaper said Britain was ready to deploy hundreds of combat troops in the Baltic states and Poland as a deterrent. Monday to explain NATO forces are on alert and that more warships and combat aircraft are being sent to Eastern Europe.

The fact that Great Britain is moving forward in the confrontation against Russia is so The New York Times I noticed. The “disclosure” of intelligence about a puppet government allegedly plotting by the Kremlin was intended to demonstrate that the UK is positioning itself at the forefront of Europe’s most serious security crisis in decades. Two years after Brexit, the UK wants to distance itself from Germany and France, even from the US:

When Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken in Kiev last week for talks about Russian forces on the Ukrainian border, his plane passed through an RAF C-17 cargo plane that was unloading anti-tank weapons for the Ukrainian army. “Britain is distancing itself from Germany and France and to some extent from the United States,” said Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general of the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank. “It’s about Brexit and the feeling that we need to define ourselves as an independent middle power.” – The New York Times

British Prime Minister warned Russia, the invasion of Ukraine will lead to a new Chechnya. He explained that it was wise to evacuate embassy staff, as there are indications of “a blitzkrieg that could put Kiev out of business.” Britain is a leader in assembling the sanctions package: “The UK’s job is to make sure that our friends and partners around the world, especially in Europe, understand this and that we prepare a sufficiently tough package of sanctions.”

the guardian In a statement from Downing Street he sees the effort Johnson has now made at the helm of the anti-Russian coalition. Defense Secretary Wallace sent to Kiev and Secretary of State Truss to Moscow and Kiev. Against France, Johnson said now is not the time to contemplate Europe’s strategic autonomy or a new security architecture, and ultimately consider talks with Russia on a security architecture unnecessary and full-blown confrontation. It is naive to assume that Russia can be placated by changes in the European security architecture, and the Kremlin’s behavior has made this clear all along. Criticizing Germany, he called Nord Stream 2 a “major strategic problem for European security”.

One can assume that the progress of the British government in the conflict with Russia was agreed upon with Washington. At least the part behind President Joe Biden in the White House probably intends to make concessions to Russia in a dialogue in order to withdraw more from Europe and turn to China. Added to this is the growing concern that pressure on Russia will further strengthen the Sino-Russian alliance, while the United States now intends to isolate and contain China. The UK can once again play poodles here. The UK is unlikely to send troops to Ukraine.

Whether Johnson is looking for new alliances outside NATO, the EU and the USA and wants to play an international role as ‘Global Britain’ to save herself from domestic political wrangling, or whether Secretary of State Truss is trying to make a name for herself in the background for Johnson’s downfall in taking over. The position of prime minister is of course speculation. From the US point of view, it seems clear that the UK should play a larger role in the confrontation with Russia. This gives Washington more room to maneuver, it is ultimately interested in getting closer to Russia in a geopolitical chess game with China, but also to prevent a closer rapprochement between Russia and Europe, which the United States has been trying to prevent for a long time. , using the division of the European Union into old and new Europe.