Valdai Club

The West has to recognise that Russia has a legitimate interest in the security of its borders and that any further expansion of the membership of NATO cannot just be seen as a private matter for NATO member states and candidate countries seeking to join. Russia, for its part, must accept that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was not just an ideological event but was the end of Europe’s last empire, the Russian empire, writes Sir Malcolm Rifkind, foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom between 1992-1997.

Macron wants the European  Union to achieve strategic autonomy in defence; to so integrate its national military forces that it can be a military power in its own right and defend Europe even if the US withdraws from its commitments under Art 5 of the NATO Treaty.

The most likely outcome will be a Johnson victory with a reasonable overall majority over all other parties, writes Valdai Club expert Sir Malcolm Rifkind. However, to achieve that he has to win a significant number of seats from the Labour Party to make up for the seats he is likely to lose to the Nationalists in Scotland and to the pro-EU Liberal Democrats in the South and South-West of England.

Brexit is happening because the UK cannot support deeper domestic and fiscal integration in Europe  which would lead to some kind of confederal system with a single currency, open borders and, possibly, a European Army.

The crisis with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme is often compared to the similar confrontation the international community had with Iran. It would be encouraging if we could expect a similar outcome.

It is very unlikely that the Government will abandon its decision that Britain should leave the EU internal market.The Conservative achievement has ensured that the Scottish Nationalists will drop their demand for a second referendum on Scottish independence. Thanks to this General Election the threat to the very existence of the United Kingdom has now disappeared for the foreseeable future.

When the great powers make claims or demands which are manifestly unrealistic or incredible they reduce their own authority and make the resolution of international crises far more difficult. They should resist the temptation to do so.

The United Kingdom and the Russian Federation have important shared interests. If trust between their leaders and with the leaders of Europe and North America, can be restored much will be achieved to the benefit of our peoples and countries as a whole.