London seeking to use Ukraine to avoid being marginalized, Chinese expert argues

BEIJING, March 17. /TASS/. Great Britain is trying to use the Ukraine conflict to avoid being marginalized by Russia and the United States, a Chinese analyst said.

"The UK is appearing more active [than other European nations] and is trying every diplomatic method to unite more European countries and other allies," Cui Heng, a scholar at the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times.

According to him, the kingdom’s military capacity means that it "cannot act alone." By convening "a coalition of the willing", London seeks to "demonstrate British influence and avoid being marginalized by the US and Russia," Cui argued. While "different parties have shown interest in a cease-fire, the details and procedures to realize it will take a long time and lots of negotiations," the Chinese expert suggested.

The "coalition of the willing" will not only need to reach a political commitment to support Kiev, but also to address technical issues, including military command, the Global Times quoted Cui Hongjian, professor of the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, as saying. There are differing opinions within the European coalition regarding the risks of sending troops to Ukraine, he explained.

"If their coordination works out politically and militarily, they may not fully accept the UK's proposal, otherwise they may lean toward the US plan. The functioning of the 'coalition of the willing' determines whether the West will become further fragmented," Cui added.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced following a virtual call with Western leaders on Ukraine that the militaries from "the coalition of the willing" will meet in London on March 20 to firm up "robust plans." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said that the presence of NATO troops under any flag and in any capacity on Ukrainian soil is a threat to Russia. According to him, Moscow will not accept such a scenario under any circumstances.