Britain will keep its active stand in opposition to Putin’s Russia – Andrew Wood

“Britain will remain an active member of NATO and will keep its active stand in opposition to Putin’s Russia. We are strong as before in our devotion to protection and assistance to Ukraine. These are the things that remain unchanged”, Andrew Wood, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Russia (1995-2000), stressed at 10^th Kyiv Security Forum held by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine.

The Ambassador noted that the results of the referendum on the UK’s exit from the EU had become a difficult decision. “I also think that now many would probably vote to stay in the EU”, the diplomat added.

Andrew Wood stressed that the decision on Brexit had a long history. The factors that contributed to it, among other things, were the weakness of the former leadership of the British Labour Party, the processes of migration, the lack of consensus in the EU on the prospects of reforming the community, as well as the functioning of the Eurozone.

At the same time, he stressed that in spite of Brexit, London as before was interested in the issues of security and fighting terrorism in Europe.

In addition, the diplomat touched upon the issue of Ukraine’s integration into the EU and supposed that by the time our country would have achieved this goal, the European community would significantly change itself.

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Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine in 2007 is an annual international event to high-level discussions on the current issues in the Black Sea region and wider Europe. The Forum aims at increasing security cooperation between the EU and the Black Sea region, raising awareness about regional developments among key regional players, promoting the role of independent and non-governmental actors in setting the security agenda in Europe.