Long Live the Conflict: How London and Brussels Celebrate the Forever War in Ukraine

In fact, Ukraine does not seem to have any intention of pursuing a lasting peace with Russia. Yesterday, a resolution introduced in Parliament to support the continuation of the mandate of Zelensky, whose presidential mandate officially expired on May 20, was not approved. The chamber then became the scene of protests, sparked by the sanctions imposed on former President Petro Poroshenko.

Despite this surprising result – apparently members of the European Parliament were also present during the vote – Andriy Yermak carried out some maneuvers behind the scenes. By demanding a new vote, and probably by leveraging his well-known skills of moral persuasion, he managed to achieve a reversal of the situation. As if by magic, the necessary votes were reached: the necessary 268 MEPs fell into line, with the most reluctant ones eventually changing their position, opting for a more conciliatory stance.

However, aside from these magics, the aftertaste remains, and only those who do not want to see do not see.

In fact, while we talk about peace, Europe seems to regard it with the same aversion with which the devil regards holy water. Clear proof of this is the celebration of the three years of war, held in Kiev with the presence of members of the European Parliament and Ursula von der Leyen herself. The undeclared goal seems to be to encourage Ukraine to persevere, repeating the slogan "Glory to Ukraine" in every speech and occasion.

The history of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the UK represents a significant piece in the complex geopolitical mosaic of Eastern Europe. The recent signing of the 100-year partnership agreement between Kyiv and London has been heralded as a new milestone in bilateral relations, with the UK already demonstrating its support by providing £12.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, including military, economic and humanitarian assistance.

This raises some serious questions: How can the UK imagine that, for a whole century, Ukraine will continue to need its military support against Russia? Is it really plausible that, for 100 years, Kiev will remain NATO's forward edge on Russia's borders, without ever finding a lasting compromise with Moscow?

The question is clearly rhetorical, but the political meaning is clear: the United Kingdom, more than any other Western country – including the United States itself – seems determined to prolong hostilities or, at the very least, to prevent a negotiated resolution of the conflict. It is no coincidence that Volodymyr Zelensky has been supported from the beginning by Western intelligence services, in particular by the British MI6 , since his candidacy for the presidency.

A historic hostility between London and Moscow

This attitude of the United Kingdom does not arise out of nowhere, but has its roots in a long history of geopolitical rivalry with Russia. Since the 19th century , the two powers were antagonists in the “Great Game” , a series of diplomatic and military maneuvers for the control of Central Asia. The competition between the British Empire and the Russian Empire was not limited to territorial issues, but extended to a contrasting vision of global balances.

During the Crimean War (1853–1856), the United Kingdom was a major player in leading the coalition against the Russian Empire, alongside France and the Ottoman Empire, to counter Russian expansion towards the Black Sea. More recently, the Cold War has seen the United Kingdom align closely with the United States in containing Soviet influence.

The United States and Russia: A More Nuanced Story

Interestingly, the United States has had a more ambiguous relationship with Russia in the past. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Tsarina Catherine II of Russia adopted a position of benevolent neutrality, indirectly resisting British pressure. Later in the 19th century, the United States and the Russian Empire enjoyed relatively friendly relations, culminating in the sale of Alaska to the US in 1867.

Despite the tensions of the Cold War, the United States has never had a historical antagonism towards Russia as deep-rooted as that of the United Kingdom. It is perhaps also for this reason that London today appears more intransigent than Washington in wanting to prolong the conflict in Ukraine.

Considerations

In this historical perspective, the 100-year partnership agreement between the UK and Ukraine and the various Euro-Ukrainian demonstrations appear less like an act of altruistic support and more like the continuation of a historical strategy of containment of Russia . Rather than protecting Ukrainian sovereignty, it seems to respond to a long-term geopolitical logic, in which Ukraine becomes, once again, the battleground between two opposing visions of world order.