A new friend for Zelensky. Who will be Kiev’s main ally after Johnson’s resignation?

“Best friend”

Boris Johnson’s resignation has left Ukrainian allies in disarray, who doubt that the politician’s successor as prime minister can stick to attempts to resist Ukraine and Russia. The publication had such conclusions politicsJohnson describes him as Zelensky’s “best friend” and describes the two leaders’ relationship in the term “bromance”. [тесные несексуальные отношения между двумя мужчинами].

The apparent friendship between the two has helped solidify Britain’s reputation as one of Russia’s fiercest enemies in recent years – despite cynics’ view of Johnson’s attempt to divert attention from numerous domestic scandals.

It is unknown what would have been Johnson’s fate as prime minister had it not been for the conflicts in Ukraine. But opinion polls showed the politician’s approval rating rose just two weeks after the start of Russian special operations. augmented This may have helped him delay the vote of confidence that only took place in June. And even then Johnson managed to hold his chair.

One way or another, Boris Johnson managed to put Britain at the forefront of the European countries committed to providing military and humanitarian assistance to Kiev. London’s spending in support of Ukraine is expected to increase by the end of 2022. amount At the same time, Johnson’s Politico partners and colleagues believe that with his resignation, the Ukrainian vector in London politics could shift towards more restraint.

Although both prime ministerial candidates – Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – openly promised to continue to pressure Russia and assist the Ukrainian authorities in confronting Moscow, in reality, each may face certain difficulties.

The British fear that the former Finance Minister Sunak does not have enough experience in foreign policy and this will have a negative impact on the Ukrainian direction. In addition, one of Boris Johnson’s supporters told the Financial Times that Sunak may soften Britain’s stance on anti-Russian sanctions amid fears about the economic ramifications of the war.

As for Liz Truss, the British have some concerns about her. Despite being harsh – even by Johnson’s standards – anti-Russia stance, Downing Street sometimes distances itself because of the foreign secretary’s overly blunt statements. Not everyone in London shared Truss’s enthusiasm when the politician encouraged the British to go to Ukraine as mercenaries or promised to make up for the losses of these countries, which depend heavily on Russian energy supplies. It seems that Truss’ desire to raise the bar in the conflict with Russia may scare away even “hawks” within the British Conservative Party.

According to Igor Kovalev, First Deputy Dean of Science at the Faculty of World Economy and International Relations at the Higher School of Economics, Liz Truss is more likely to have personal contact with Volodymyr Zelensky because of his “warrior” stance on the Russian-Ukrainian issue. crisis. But, according to Kovalev, the issue of personal relationships is not a priority for British politicians at the moment.

“The sum, as you know, does not change from a change in the places of the terms.

It does not matter who will be the next prime minister, because there is complete consensus in the British political elite on Ukraine. Liz Truss has a better chance of forming a personal relationship with Zelensky as she is more belligerent about the situation.

But the issue of personal relationships is not the first priority at the moment, ”Kovalev told socialbites.ca.

Oleg Barabanov, program director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, professor at MGIMO and the Russian Academy of Sciences, on the contrary, believes that Truss cannot be Zelensky’s personal ally. According to him, we are talking about the “sexist” opinion of the president of Ukraine.

“To some extent, sexist features can be seen in Zelensky’s statements. The presumed boyfriend with Johnson can’t thrive with a woman. We are talking about the sexist complex of the president of Ukraine, ”Barabanov explained in an interview with socialbites.ca.

If not Johnson then who

The newspaper wrote that perhaps no great Western leader has expressed his support for Ukraine so openly. New York TimesOutlines the Ukraine vector of Boris Johnson’s foreign policy.

Now, with the leading wave of resignations on the European continent and US President Joe Biden more interested in the preparations for the midterm congressional elections than in Ukraine, the question of Zelensky’s main personal ally is still open.

But the political scientist Andrey Suzdaltsev is sure of this.

In Europe, a new personal ally of Zelensky may emerge, as a focus on the Ukrainian theme could help local politicians distract the population from domestic problems.

“It should be noted that Johnson adhered to a hypocritical approach towards Ukraine. First of all, he solved his own problems. Hence such a gentle attitude towards Zelensky. There will be many more leaders in Europe who want to replace their problems with the Ukraine crisis. There will be a place for the “New Johnson” Suzdaltsev socialbites.ca.

Another politician who until recently tried to transfer relations from the official plane to the personal plane was French President Emmanuel Macron, who did not give up his attempts to intensify the negotiation process by making regular phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, according to Suzdaltsev, it is unlikely that Macron will approach Zelensky.

Macron will not be a personal ally of the Ukrainian president. He distanced himself from the Kyiv theme. The political scientist has not called Putin for two months, as he is preparing for the failure of the West regarding the Ukraine crisis, ”the political scientist admitted.

Professor Oleg Barabanov, however, did not see which of the European politicians could replace Johnson as Zelensky’s “best friend” during the country’s conflict.

“If we talk about the personal chemistry between Johnson and Zelensky, it has evolved since the beginning of NWO. Britain took a more radical position than the European Union. One of Johnson’s visits came just after Macron, Scholz and Draghi’s. Johnson expressed his more radical views politically. To some extent, his eccentricity and Zelensky’s acting qualities played in harmony. It is unlikely that Zelensky would develop the same relationship with someone in the EU. Politically, Kyiv may be closer to Poland or the Baltic states, but on a personal level this is unlikely,” Barabanov summarized.

Since the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has visited Kiev four times to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On each trip, the politician declared his extensive support and wished victory for the Ukrainian troops. Now that the British prime minister has resigned, the position of Ukraine’s main supporter is still vacant. “Gazeta.ru” figured out which of the politicians could replace Johnson.



Source: Gazeta

Popular

More from author

FTR wishes Medvedev to break the match tradition with Sinner 14:35

Russian Tennis Federation (RFF) President Shamil Tarpishchev expressed that he is confident that Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev can beat Italian representative Jannik Sinner...

Ukraine awaits European populism

-->Subscribe to continue reading Source: Informacion

They supported the law on foreign agents in Georgia 14:04

Sozar Subari, head of Georgia's "People's Power" party, spoke in favor of enacting the law on foreign agents in the country, as Georgia must...

The price of one type of apartment in the Moscow region has increased sharply 14:02

Last year, prices for apartments in new buildings near Moscow increased by an average of 10.5% to 9.4 million rubles. The newspaper writes...