The King and Queen received a lavish welcome ceremony during their visit in Berlin this week. Royals were escorted by German Eurofighter Typhoons for the RAF Voyager carrying the royal party followed by a 21-gun salute and flyby when the couple landed at Berlin’s Willy Brandt. Despite all the friction caused by Brexit, the Germans put all the effort to emphasise that they „still value Britain as an important ally” – Con Coughlin commenting recent event in „The Telegraph”.
Primarily, the King’s visit was supposed to be hosted by both France and Germany, however France had to postpone it because of the nationwide rioting provoked by President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.
Even though, Berlin and Paris will still deserve to be the focus of diplomatic effort for UK, they do not have that much of a good impact now in times of all the big global crisis. While they’re wondering how best to help the Ukrainian cause, Poland and Slovakia have been constantly and actively supporting Kyiv in its desperate fight against Russian aggression.
https://twitter.com/britishpoles/status/1642044367052451840?s=20
What is most important, the author compares the decisive attitude of Poland and Slovakia towards the war in Ukraine and other threats with the ambivalence of the ‘largest European powers’.
„It is not just that both Berlin and Paris have gone out of their way to exploit Britain’s exit from the European Union to their advantage, such as sidelining the City of London as the continent’s financial hub or doing very little to stop the Channel boat crossings. It is the more alarming reality that, on all the big global issues of the day, from the Ukraine conflict to China, Germany and France invariably find themselves on the wrong side of history.”
Con Coughlin points out that as much as Britain tries to rebuild relations with Europe after Brexit, it should not focus its diplomatic efforts on Germany and France, but it would be better to engage with countries that fully comprehend the challenges we recently face. Geographical position of these countries in relation to Russia border provides better understanding the threat to the security of the whole of Europe.
„They have been unstinting in their backing for the Ukrainian cause, to the extent that, while other European capitals have resisted Kyiv’s appeals for heavy armour and warplanes, Poland and Slovakia have shown no qualms about sending their fighter jets to assist Ukraine’s war effort.” – Con Coughlin says.
The author also indicates that the major Europe powers still hesitate with the support of Kyiv, and with a current outlook towards the emerging threat posed by China means that „Europe prepares for the challenges that lie ahead. A new centre of gravity is emerging within the Western alliance – one where Eastern European countries like Poland are more willing to assume a leadership role.”
Author: Patrycja Bodzek-Kurzyńska
Photo: Pixabay
