UK political analyst Carlos Martinez told Sputnik on Thursday that the recently-unveiled integrated review of the UK government's priorities on foreign policy, defense, security and development after leaving the European Union in January is just a "continuation of the new cold war."
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2021) UK political analyst Carlos Martinez told Sputnik on Thursday that the recently-unveiled integrated review of the UK government's priorities on foreign policy, defense, security and development after leaving the European Union in January is just a "continuation of the new cold war."
"If anything, the review represents a subtle shift away from Trump's policy towards Biden's policy - a continuation of the new cold war, but with less bluster and some space for cooperation on the key issues," Martinez told Sputnik.
In the 110-page long report published on Tuesday, the government pledged to deter and defend against a "full spectrum of threats" allegedly emerging from Russia and to invest in enhancing "Chinafacing" capabilities in order to respond to the "systemic challenge" coming from the Asian country, while stressing that the United States will continue to be its greatest ally and a uniquely close partner in defense, intelligence and security.
"In terms of the US-led cold war, the wording of the review represents a compromise. On the one hand it identifies China as the biggest threat to Britain's security; on the other hand, it calls for increased trade and cooperation with China," Martinez, convenor of the London-based No Cold War campaign, said.
The analyst also considered "hypocritical and absurd" London's calls on China to reduce its number of nuclear warheads while announcing in the review that the UK will increase the limit of its own nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.
"For one thing, an increase in nuclear capacity is a violation of international law, since the UK is a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Martinez said, noting that contrary to China, the UK does not have no-first-strike policy.
The UK's decision to increase its nuclear weapons arsenal has stirred criticism from peace campaigner and some governments who have warned that it represented a threat to global stability that could unleash a new arms race.
