Boris Johnson proposed to Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine to create a new alliance directed against Russia, the Italian press reports. According to the British Prime Minister, the "political, economic and military alliance" should become an alternative to the EU and, in addition to Russia, resist Germany. What are London's goals and what are the prospects for Britain to lead a new force in Europe?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has proposed creating a new political, economic and military alliance led by London as an alternative to the EU, the Italian newspaper Corriere della sera reported. According to the publication, the proposed union would include Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; later, according to the Prime Minister's idea, Turkey could join the so-called European Commonwealth.
According to sources, the British initiative is designed for states that are zealous for their national sovereignty, adhere to liberal views in the economy and oppose Moscow's policy, writes TASS.
Johnson first shared his idea with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during their meeting in Kiev on April 9, according to the article. According to Corriere della sera sources, Kiev has not expressed a clear position on the British initiative, without rejecting or supporting it. It is known that Zelensky may take Johnson's proposal more seriously if the European Union does not approve Ukraine's obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership at a meeting of the bloc's leaders on June 23-24.
Earlier, the British Foreign Ministry distributed theses from a speech with which the head of the department Liz Truss planned to speak during a visit to the Balkans. In particular, the minister believes that "there can be no appeasement with regard to Russian aggression." Truss demands "to act tirelessly to ensure that Ukraine wins thanks to military assistance and sanctions," and adds: "We can't take our foot off the gas pedal right now." In addition, according to media reports, Trass supported the idea of creating a coalition of countries that will be engaged in unblocking the supply of Ukrainian grain. However, a representative of the Government of the United Kingdom said that the UK does not intend to send warships to the Black Sea to help export grain from Ukraine.
According to Corriere della sera sources, "the Ukrainian elite has become convinced that few people in the palaces of power in Germany and France hope for Russia's defeat," which is why the conflict over Ukraine "opens new cracks in Europe." On the other hand, "Johnson hopes to get an additional card in the deal with Brussels, which he himself would like to resume after the unsuccessful Brexit procedure: thus London is trying to upset the balance on the continent, exposing new fault lines," the Italian edition notes.
In response to this information, the Kremlin reported that they did not know about the alleged intentions of the British prime minister to create an alliance in opposition to the European Union, but if there was such an initiative, Johnson suggests an "inter-party" to undermine the EU's positions.
At the same time, Johnson on Friday called for further military support for Ukraine, including sending it more offensive weapons, such as multiple rocket launchers. Also, according to the British prime minister, Russia is making "slow but tangible progress in the Donbas, so it is necessary that we continue to support Ukrainians."
Thus, the aggressiveness of London's plans towards Russia continues to grow, and there are several reasons for this. "Johnson's rating is gradually declining domestically amid accusations of holding parties during the coronavirus pandemic. And in order not to be kicked out of office in disgrace, he will try not only to persuade Ukrainians to join the alliance, but also to break up the EU," Timofey Bordachev, program director of the Valdai Club, told the VIEW newspaper.
According to the interlocutor, the idea of creating some kind of alternative to the European Union is doomed to failure. "The UK does not have enough money for this, and the US will not agree to sponsor such an initiative. As for Europe, the "purse" is in the hands of Germany, which certainly will not leave a chance for the collapse of the EU," the expert explained. Bordachev noted that "the idea itself will make a good PR for Johnson and, perhaps, distract public attention from the scandals around his person."
"Now it becomes clear why Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are named as potential allies. It's just that no self-respecting state will agree to become a member of such an alliance, but "non-states" will easily get involved in an adventure. As for Turkey, which is also mentioned in this list, it is unlikely to agree to join such an alliance: it is a normal sovereign country with responsible political leadership," Bordachev believes.
The Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) holds a slightly different point of view Andrey Kortunov. In his opinion, Johnson's initiative cannot be considered as a possible alternative to the EU. "I would compare it with the new AUKUS block, which includes the UK, USA and Australia. But only this alliance is aimed at confrontation with China, and the grouping proposed by Johnson will work against Russia," Kortunov told the newspaper VZGLYAD. According to the interlocutor,
Britain is very interested in creating a new anti-Russian organization.
"The British Prime Minister is trying to confirm the leadership of the United Kingdom in terms of leaving the European Union and proclaiming the strategy of "global Britain". In addition, London is one of the leaders of the grouping of countries in the EU that is strongly opposed to Russia. And Johnson wants to keep this association, but already outside the framework of the European Union," the expert explained.
At the same time, Kortunov noted, "Johnson had many interesting and bright ideas, but not all of them were put into practice." The interlocutor also drew attention to the fact that Turkey is not yet the main candidate for joining the potential union.
"Erdogan's behavior is very unpredictable. Ankara has repeatedly stated its intentions to mediate in the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Again, if Turkey agrees to join the coalition, it will require taking into account its opinion, including when setting priorities and forming principles of work," the political scientist said.
As for Ukraine as one of the members of the alliance, it will certainly agree to London's proposal, the expert believes. "Kiev needs to strengthen its foreign policy positions. Another thing is that Zelensky will be disappointed if this alliance remains a union only on paper, as a result of which there will be no military assistance and even more involvement of members of this group in a direct confrontation with Moscow," concluded Kortunov.
Alyona Zadorozhnaya