GREAT BRITAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR (2022 – 2025)

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the development of the UK's foreign policy in the context of the leading trends in world politics and bilateral interstate cooperation with Ukraine during the period of full-scale Russian aggression from February 24, 2022.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity and objectivity, general scientific methods of logic, comparative analysis, special historical methods of historiographic analysis, historical-systemic, chronological, historical-genetic, retrospective analysis, comparative historical methods of scientific knowledge.

A historiographical overview of the problem under study is presented. The main reasons and interests of the UK government in reorienting the state's foreign policy in the post-Brexit period from the declared global positioning to the level of regional policy are noted. The author emphasizes that the main directions of the UK's foreign policy remain relations with the United States and European partners. These directions traditionally both contradict and complement each other, depending on national interests and the international situation. At the same time, the factor of the Russian-Ukrainian war and changes in US foreign policy after Donald Trump's return to power make Europe an indispensable and advanced area for the realization of the UK's international ambitions. However, it is noted that its international political positioning remains hostage to its significant military, political and economic dependence on the United States. Since Trump came to power, the UK government has been attempting to strengthen its international influence through traditional manoeuvring between the American and European poles of its foreign policy. The uncertainty of further support from Washington is forcing British elites to move closer to European partners, even partially reintegrating into the EU's cooperation system.

It is noted that the UK has a geopolitical interest in helping Ukraine emerge from the war in the strongest possible condition, and restore its economic and political structure. For these reasons, the British government has stepped up its support for Ukraine. However, the parties still have to work hard to implement joint plans, especially to preserve existing ones and form new multilateral formats of cooperation at the regional level.