Here's how Liz Truss will portray the "iron Lady" in relations with KievFollowing the unwavering support of Ukraine in the style of Boris Johnson will not be easy, but it will appeal to the new British Prime Minister Liz Truss, writes the Telegraph.
At the same time, the author emphasizes, she is least concerned about the problems and opinions of the British.
Joe BarnesWhen Boris Johnson announced his decision to leave Downing Street, Ukrainians wondered how soon after that military support from the UK would stop.
It is not surprising that in Kiev, the outgoing Prime Minister is praised and credited with his personal interest in supporting Ukraine against the background of the conflict with Russia. As a sign of respect for Johnson's efforts, Ukraine honored him with the highest award for foreign citizens, naming a street in Odessa and cakes in Kiev after him.
It will undoubtedly be difficult to continue providing unwavering support to Ukraine, but this kind of challenge will clearly appeal to the new Prime Minister in the person of Liz Truss. In his farewell speech, Johnson instructed his successor to “protect Ukrainians,” and she took it with enthusiasm.
A tough approach to foreign policyAs Foreign Minister, Truss portrayed herself as a “new Iron Lady” who adopted Margaret Thatcher's tough approach to foreign policy.
However, this caused some criticism, especially after the words in support of the British fighting in Ukraine and about the “real” possibility of ousting Russia from the Crimea.
Numerous NATO and Foreign Ministry officials have made it absolutely clear that if the forecasts are confirmed and Truss gets the keys to number 10 Downing Street at his disposal, Ukraine may well “expect everything the same as before, only to a greater extent.”
According to them, weapons and humanitarian aid worth billions of pounds will continue to flow to Kiev, even despite the approaching cost-of-living crisis.
This has encouraged officials, but some are still concerned about Ms. Truss's unpredictability in relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She has already promised to confront him at the November G20 summit in Bali.
An unexpected trip to Moscow on the eve of the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine gave its curators the fullest possible idea of how future meetings could develop.
Caught off guard by LavrovHigh-ranking officials asked Ms. Truss not to enter into a confrontation with the long-term Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but she did it her own way.
As expected, he managed to embarrass her.
According to Russian media, during a closed-door meeting, Lavrov asked whether Ms. Truss recognized Russian sovereignty over the Rostov and Voronezh regions. In response, she called them the territories of Ukraine, and the ambassador had to correct her.
Of course, sources close to Ms. Truss called it Kremlin propaganda and said that the Foreign Minister simply misheard her colleague. However, since then, Moscow has not stopped criticizing her for her frivolity and incompetence.
"A place in the kitchen"The Russian political establishment suggested that Ms. Truss “has a place not in politics, but in the kitchen.”
It didn't bother her at all, but on the contrary, it even encouraged her.
The UK insists on a tougher stance towards Russia than other European countries. French President Macron, for example, angered Ukrainians with a proposal not to humiliate Putin and thereby facilitate the process of peace negotiations.
Differences in the approaches of European countries can lead to diplomatic quarrels with their allies, and the new Prime Minister's tough approach to Brexit has only worsened the situation.
It is expected that she will be invited to the October meeting of the European Political Community, the proposal for the creation of which was put forward by Mr. Macron. Whether she will accept the invitation or not is another question.
As in the case of Liz Truss's predecessor, support for Ukraine will play an important role at the national level, especially in the face of the energy crisis, which is partly blamed on Putin and his special operation.
Decades of mismanagementThe attempts of the Russian president to pressure Europe in retaliation for sanctions are an excellent reason to shift the blame for decades of improper management of energy policy to the Kremlin.
Ms Truss should be comforted by the thought that, according to insiders, at a difficult moment Kiev granted asylum to Boris Johnson. Like Baroness Thatcher, she will also know that strengthening the image of the UK as a global player is beneficial both within the country and internationally.
But, unlike her political idol, Ms. Truss will do her best to provoke as little criticism as possible in the first days of her new post. Given all her recent speeches, there is reason to believe that in the position of Prime Minister Liz Truss will position herself as a solid and strong-willed leader.
It is unlikely to come as a shock to her entourage if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky becomes the first person with whom she will establish contact after moving to Downing Street.
Liz Truss's message is as follows: British support for Ukraine is unconditional and will only grow.
