Friday, March 16, 2018
How Brexit has left the UK isolated and vulnerable
There was an interesting intervention in the ongoing saga of the Sergei Skripal attack in the Guardian yesterday, in which the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevičius is reported as saying that Russia sees the UK as increasingly isolated because of Brexit and is testing our strength, resolve and diplomatic links:
“Russia is always looking for weak points, and may feel the UK does not feel very strong,” he said in an interview. “The Russian assumption may be that in the process of Brexit, the UK is weaker in terms of its isolation, and due to Brexit the EU will not be very enthusiastic in backing the UK up.
“Fortunately that is not the case, and we will support the UK, but Russia acts by testing for reactions.”
There is also a message that Jeremy Corbyn and his spokesperson may wish to take on board with Linkevičius warning that Putin’s actions represented a threat to liberal democracy. “They test and deny. I am not asking for escalation, but if no clear messages are sent, Russia regards it as an encouragement to do more.”
So not only is Brexit leaving us reliant on an increasingly erratic US President for our trade links but it is also offering succour to our potential enemies by sending out all the wrong signals about the UK's place in the world.
“Russia is always looking for weak points, and may feel the UK does not feel very strong,” he said in an interview. “The Russian assumption may be that in the process of Brexit, the UK is weaker in terms of its isolation, and due to Brexit the EU will not be very enthusiastic in backing the UK up.
“Fortunately that is not the case, and we will support the UK, but Russia acts by testing for reactions.”
There is also a message that Jeremy Corbyn and his spokesperson may wish to take on board with Linkevičius warning that Putin’s actions represented a threat to liberal democracy. “They test and deny. I am not asking for escalation, but if no clear messages are sent, Russia regards it as an encouragement to do more.”
So not only is Brexit leaving us reliant on an increasingly erratic US President for our trade links but it is also offering succour to our potential enemies by sending out all the wrong signals about the UK's place in the world.
