The British government has announced that it will abandon some of the sanctions against Russia imposed by the European Union. This is part of the optimization of relations between the UK and the world that has begun, political analyst Igor Shatrov says.
Great Britain plans to abandon some sanctions against Russia, acting at the EU level. The British government announced the rejection of anti-dumping duties on aluminum foil, ferrosilicon, metal and cast iron pipes, steel and cast iron pipe fittings.
After the British withdrawal from the EU, London should agree on the format for further cooperation with other countries during the annual transitional period.
Political analyst, deputy director of the National Institute for the Development of Modern Ideology, Igor Shatrov, expressed the view that the lifting of some of the sanctions is a signal to Brussels.
“It is clear that the EU, with its universal approaches, which it imposes on all countries, puts them in uncomfortable relationships – both economic and political. If even the UK experienced certain problems and had to endure them as a member of the EU, then what about the countries with a weak economy. Probably, this signal should be heard first of all in Brussels, because it is clearly directed there – the UK shows the advantages that independent economic policy provides. I think that they can be restored and relations in other areas, which were destroyed due to the aggressive policy of the EU”, – said Igor Shatrov.
But in his opinion, one should not wait for a general change in the course of London.
“This does not mean that after the final exit from the EU, the UK will stop anti-Russian policy, because this phenomenon is of a different order. It seems to me that the UK, on the contrary, is counting on leading positions in the anti-Russian issue. But, nevertheless, it hopes to build a pragmatic politics, that is, where it’s profitable, not to break off relations with Russia, but to support them. Britain is building new bilateral relationships, which will benefit the UK economy”, – says Igor Shatrov.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow was ready to conclude agreements with Britain after its withdrawal from the European Union, it was impossible to maintain relations without a legal framework.
“Brexit is a new beginning in relations between Russia and Britain, because relations cannot develop in a legal vacuum and uncertainty, so sooner or later this problem will have to be solved through negotiations”, – he added.
Great Britain left the European Union on January 31 at 23.00 (February 1, 02.00 Moscow time).