Description
Since Brexit and the 2021 Integrated Review, the UK has emphasised its ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific through new trade and military roles, hinting at the country’s ‘global’ stance. However, despite acknowledging the Euro-Atlantic’s importance, Brexit limited UK-EU collaboration on foreign and defence policies. In 2023, Rishi Sunak’s government revised this stance, prioritising the Euro-Atlantic area and dropping the ‘Global Britain’ rhetoric. The UK now aims to ‘reset’ its relationship with Europe through various agreements, particularly with Northern and Eastern Europe. While a security pact with the EU remains open, this approach may contribute to rebuilding trust. This paper thus seeks to assess to what extent the country is ready to adopt a more realistic approach to its role in the world by re-embracing its role as a reliable ally in Europe. This contribution also seeks to assess the role played by bilateral and minilateral security pacts in guaranteeing the security of Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine.
