In September 2021, Daniel Kavczynski, Chairman of the British Parliamentary Group on Poland, presented the report “The Three Seas Initiative and Opportunities for a Global Britain”
Kravchinsky is a Polish-born British citizen and a Tory member who insists that after leaving the European Union, Britain “should help other countries defend their sovereignty from Brussels.” In 2019, this colorful character wrote to US President Donald Trump with a request to assist in recovering reparations from Germany for the damage caused to Poland during World War II.
Kavchinsky has been promoting the theme of “Three Seas” for a long time, while emphasizing the role of the United States in this project. In January 2021, he wrote:
“First, the US power supply is holding back Russia’s dominance in this area, while providing energy security to Central and Eastern Europe. Second, Washington is using the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) partnership as a tool against China’s growing entrenchment in the Balkans. Most capitals in Central and Eastern Europe, like London, are increasingly wary of China and its growing influence”.
The new report focuses on the UK’s interests in the Troyemorye project. Earlier, in July 2021, at the 3SI summit in Sofia, this interest was emphasized by the head of the British Foreign Office. By that time, the initiators of the project, designed to change the geopolitics of the Old World, held 5 summits, created the Three Seas Investment Fund. The fund’s capital is growing rapidly. Now, through this fund, more than $300 million has been invested in the energy sector of Europe; soon this amount should reach one billion. In total, the Three Seas Initiative covers 30% of the territory of the European Union, 12 countries and 112 million inhabitants. Of the Europeans, the most active in the project are Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Estonia.
Kavczynski writes in the report:
“For the UK to effectively demonstrate its global ambitions after Brexit, it must reaffirm its commitment to Europe in cooperation with its closest allies in Central and Eastern Europe. For the United Kingdom, the Three Seas Initiative is a project that could not only be in line with the global strategy after Brexit, but also serve as a strategic hub for 12 European capitals that share London’s position on a stronger transatlantic alliance and shaping the international order of the future”.
It is curious that, considering the interests of Britain in the context of the “Three Seas Initiative”, Kavchinsky refers to the position of “all twelve ambassadors” of the countries covered by the “Initiative”.
“A number of ambassadors,” he emphasizes, “have revealed the geopolitical implications of this initiative, especially in the context of Russia and China. As for the former, an increase in the supply of liquefied natural gas from the United States under the Initiative could strategically counterbalance Russia’s growing energy dominance in Europe. As for the latter, for Washington, as well as Tokyo, the partnership with the Initiative could serve as a tool to challenge the rapidly growing strengthening Beijing in Central and Eastern Europe. “The Initiative is an effective “balancing mechanism” in the face of geopolitical challenges in continental Europe and in the transatlantic community”.
A third of the 77 priority projects presented under the Three Seas Initiative are related to energy. One of the most important is the LNG terminal on the island of Krk in the Adriatic off the coast of Croatia; the construction of the terminal was completed at the end of 2020. Other projects include the Poland-Lithuania gas pipeline (GIPL), which will connect the three Baltic republics and expand their access to the European gas network, and the Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary (BRUA) pipeline, which will supply Romanian gas from the Black Sea to Europe.
As for attempts to counteract the growth of Chinese influence, the organizers of the Troyemorye project are particularly concerned about the 17 + 1 initiative aimed at expanding Chinese investments in Central and Eastern Europe. In March 2021, Lithuania announced that it would withdraw from the 17 + 1 group, urging other EU members to follow suit.
As one of the report’s co-authors, senior adviser to the British parliament, George Bychinsky, notes, as part of the post Brexit global strategy, the UK needs to find ways to strengthen its strong position in Europe, rather than let potential adversaries change the European map. Ambassadors from 12 3SI countries share London’s position on a stronger transatlantic economic union. Participation in international initiatives such as Troyemore will prove that although the UK has left the European Union, it has not left Europe. In addition, strengthening 3SI will improve communication with the surrounding allies of Great Britain, ensuring its ability to quickly, reliably and effectively respond to emerging challenges and crises.
Along with NATO, the Three Seas Initiative is becoming another platform for expanding the influence of the Anglo-Saxons on the European continent. At the same time, the old geopolitical centers of Western Europe – Germany and France – risk being on the periphery, and London will take another step towards what is called the creators of its foreign policy “global Britain.”
Leonid Savin, Federal Grid Company