Britain’s provocation in Russian territorial waters in Crimea is not just an attempt to create dangerous tensions in the British-Russian track, but also a blow to the international security system
Let’ recall that on 23 June, the Russian military opened warning fire at the British destroyer HMS Defender (D36), which appeared near Cape Fiolent. The Russian Defence Ministry regarded the actions of the destroyer as a gross violation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and called on London to conduct a thorough investigation into the actions of the crew to prevent similar incidents in the future. British Ambassador Deborah Bronnert was summoned to Smolensk Square in connection with the incident.
Britain is pretending that nothing terrible has happened. Although the violation of a state border by the military forces of one nuclear power by another nuclear power could provoke a World War III. That said, it is hard to believe that the British military coordinated its actions in Russian territorial waters with NATO headquarters in Brussels and the leading members of the alliance. But it is not surprising that London instantly backed Kyiv.
As Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was quick to say, Moscow’s legal actions turn out to be “a clear proof of the Ukrainian position: Russia’s aggressive and provocative policy in the Black and Azov seas, occupation and militarisation of Crimea are a constant threat to Ukraine and allies. That is why I stress that a qualitatively new NATO engagement with Ukraine in the Black Sea is needed”.
Thus, we can state the following. The UK, as a member of NATO, together with Ukraine, which is not a member of it, are playing the North Atlantic Alliance in their personal interests. This is something the West, especially NATO member states, should think about. Do they want London to continue to put them all at risk? And should Britain continue to be part of the alliance?
This is first and foremost a concern for Washington. That the provocation by the British military came shortly after US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva does not look coincidental. London is unhappy that the two leaders have begun to reach agreements that could lead to the establishment of channels of systemic dialogue, including on defence and security issues. Therefore, the UK is going for provocations to prevent Washington and Moscow from working constructively with each other. This is the first thing.
The second. In the current situation, London is actually behaving like Turkey, whose unilateral actions in Syria without warning to allies in the US and Europe triggered the reaction of French President Emmanuel Macron in December 2019 and May 2021, who warned that Ankara was leading NATO to “brain death”.
The UK’s aggressive anti-Russian policy involving Kiev also cannot be acceptable to Germany, which is working with Paris and Moscow in the Normandy format on Ukraine. Moreover, according to The Financial Times, the other day German Chancellor Angela Merkel proposed a meeting of EU leaders with Putin, which Macron supported. London is torpedoing this initiative as well.
In fact, Britain aimed to repeat the effect of the Fulton speech delivered by Winston Churchill on 5 March 1946, which signalled the start of the Cold War, which had every chance of turning into a hot war. By handing over, at first glance, political primacy to Washington in post-World War II world-building, London achieved for itself the main thing: it made the Americans regard the British as their main partner and prevented the USA and Europe from negotiating with the Soviet Union.
It was in the interests of Washington, Berlin and Paris to prevent the intention of the “British-Ukrainian consortium” to repeat the scenario already tried by London in 1946. With regard to Kiev, NATO could impose a moratorium on the involvement of the Ukrainian military in any NATO exercises or operations for at least five years and halt political dialogue on the Kiev-NATO line until Ukraine changes its anti-Russian course.
Regarding London – to warn of the danger of unilateral action against Russia without broad consultation with NATO member states, suggesting that Britain should otherwise withdraw from the North Atlantic Alliance.
Russtrat