Cassie Sipe
Apr 29, 2024
The UK and France’s delusional entente against Russia
The Foreign Ministers of France and the UK have announced the creation of an "updated entente" to try to shore up the West's deteriorating position in its proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. This April, the UK and France commemorated the original Entente Cordiale agreements as they showcased the changing of the guard of their respective troops in their capitals.
On April 8th, 1904, the UK and France formed a bilateral agreement, the Entente Cordiale. The agreement ended the 1000-year-old rivalry between the two countries to counter the rise of Germany. The Entente Cordiale agreements led to the two powers' mutual support during WW1 and WW2.
The Entente Cordiale includes four agreements meant to improve relations between the two imperial European powers. Ironically, Russia would enter into an alliance with them in 1907, after which it became the Triple Entente.
Modern parallels to an imperialist past
The UK and France were long some of the worst imperialist offenders. Even today, the collective West’s foreign policy hasn’t improved. During the chaos of the Russian Civil War, the Entente invaded the USSR on behalf of Czarist loyalists. After Russia launched its Special Military Operation in February 2022, the West promoted their plans to “decolonize” Russia. They wish to disfigure Russia, breaking it into several smaller countries and turning them into proxy regimes they could freely loot and exploit.
Both France and the UK signed defensive agreements with Ukraine to “save Europe,” but it’s unclear what an anti-Russian coalition from two waning colonial powers would look like.
Foreign Ministers Sebastion Loqonu and David Cameron recently wrote an article demanding troops be sent to Ukraine to defeat Russia, further escalating tensions. They discussed multiple scenarios of sending French troops to different parts of Ukraine and Moldova. Echoing Loqonu and Cameron's screeching article, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated openly that Ukraine’s loss would mean the end of western hegemony.
French FM Sebastion Loqonu had previously proposed freezing the conflict during a call with Shoigu so as to buy the West time to ramp up arms production. His absurd ultimatum to Russia was: either freeze the conflict to give us chance to catch up or else French troops will be sent to Ukraine. Macron’s talk of not “ruling out” troops in Ukraine came after Russia targeted French mercenaries there.
Endless escalation
In recent months, both hawkish Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for troops in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted harshly to Macron’s words. Ironically, Macron accused President Putin of making threats.
Now, as they use their new entente to counter “Russian aggression,” it seems the UK and France may resort to intervening in Ukraine by themselves. NATO countries are concerned that a potential Trump presidency could mean the end of ample American aid fueling the NATO war machine. As geopolitical analyst Alexander Mercouris recently noted, Germany has for its part rebuffed calls for NATO troops in Ukraine. Foreign Minister David Cameron recently visited Trump and reported he is committed to supporting Ukraine.
The UK and France seemingly distanced themselves from Americans' growing skepticism by forming an anti-Russian coalition on their own. But given the US's massive support for the regime in Kiev thus far, those countries seem to be betting on a US intervention to save them, should things go awry-- just as Israel operates with total impunity, since the US will back them, no matter what. However, Macron also admitted NATO’s Article Five wouldn’t be triggered by a Russian attack on French troops in Ukraine, which is still not a part of NATO.
Now, they have good reason to think the US will back them, as David Cameron recently met with President Trump, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and House speaker Mike Johnson. In just the knick of time, Johnson’s $95 billion aid bill passed, providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.