A Diplomat Explained How Britain Can Stand Up To Putin

• 1.11.2026, 9:37

London needs to join forces with its European allies.

Britain is capable of containing Russian aggression, but to do so, it will have to cooperate much more closely with European countries in the areas of defense and intelligence. It can no longer rely solely on the United States. Washington’s stance on Ukraine has shown that American support for European security is not guaranteed. This is the conclusion reached by former British diplomat Alexander Dragoetti in a column for The i Paper (translation by Charter97.org).

According to Dragonetti, the British should abandon the notion that U.S. protection is automatically guaranteed. “We have no God-given right to count on American protection,” he writes.

Britain’s exit from the European Union has complicated cooperation with its closest European partners at precisely the moment when the threat from Moscow requires joint action. London needs to strengthen ties with European nations, pool military capabilities, share intelligence, and participate in shaping a common security framework.

“Deterrence is not preparation for a war we consider inevitable. It is the creation of conditions under which aggression becomes too costly to even consider.”

A special responsibility rests with Prime Minister Andy Bername. He must ensure that the United Kingdom is not left out of the formation of a European security system.