Defense assistance to Ukraine by Western countries has increased the tension on the Moscow-Kyiv line. Diplomatic talks which are targetting the resolution of the crisis between Western leaders and Moscow did not yield any results. The biggest support for the Kyiv administration has come from England and Poland. Making a statement after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Kyiv, Defense Minister Ben Wallace has announced that they will provide defense weapons and military training to Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who visited Kyiv, has also promised support to Ukraine. In the aftermath of the British and Polish senior officials’ announcement about their defense support to Ukraine, it was proclaimed that the Ukraine-Poland-England Alliance, which was considered as a front against Russia, would be established. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmygal, has stated that the new regional format, which envisages cooperation for the consolidation of regional security, will be officially announced in the near future.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has also expressed that Ukraine is working on the creation of a tripartite alliance. Kuleba made a statement., “We cannot wait until we become a member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the future, to achieve prosperity and a safe environment. We need these today. For this reason, we are getting stronger by uniting friendly and close-minded countries in small alliances.” Through the Triple Alliance, it is targeting not only to strengthen the regional security atmosphere but also to increase trade relations between the parties has aimed.
Evaluating the Ukraine-Poland-England Alliance, which is considered the European AUKUS, to the Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM), experts think that the alliance in question that is created is significant cooperation against the Russian threat.
ANKASAM International Relations Expert Dr. Sabir Askeroğlu: Ukraine needed alliances.
Reminding that Ukraine seeks to become a member of NATO, ANKASAM Expert Dr. Sabir Askeroglu, emphasizing that this situation will not be realized in a short time, has said that it was inevitable for the Kyiv administration to establish a deterrent mechanism against the Russian threat.
Underlining that Ukraine necessities for building alliances, Askeroğlu said, “Eastern European countries also faced obstacles from states such as Germany and France, despite their desire for Ukraine’s NATO membership. For this reason, Poland and England are trying to support Ukraine, which cannot be a member of NATO, with bilateral or trilateral agreements.
International Relations Expert Yevgeniya Gaber: Poland and England have given major support to Ukraine.
Reminding that the Ukraine-Poland-England Alliance is a foreign policy strategy of Kyiv, International Relations Expert Yevgeniya Gaber; emphasized that Ukraine has made such small alliances with its close allies in order to establish peace, stability, and security in the region.
In this direction, Gaber; draws attention to the importance of cooperation in alliances such as the Association Trio, consisting of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and the Lublin Triangle, of which Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania are members.
Gaber, which is stating that the triple alliance should be considered in a broader perspective, said that Poland supports Ukraine’s NATO membership against the Russian threat and that allying should be considered natural. Referring to the role of the UK in the alliance to be established, Gaber said, “The relations between the UK and Ukraine are very good condition. Recently, these relations have started to develop further especially since the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. No other state has supported Ukraine as much as England, particularly in maritime security and strengthening of the armed forces. Therefore, London gives great assistance to Kyiv in the field of defence.” In addition, Gaber added that the Baltic countries will join the triple alliance in the future.
Retired Ambassador Hulusi Kılıç: Georgia will be included in this alliance in the future.
Retired Ambassador Hulusi Kılıç, who stated that Russia’s pressure on Ukraine was dragging the Kyiv administration into cooperation, said that England and Poland are friends of Ukraine. Pointing to the position of the alliance countries in international politics, Kılıç said that it is crucial for NATO members Britain and Poland to cooperate with Ukraine and that the three states have joined forces.
Reminding those similar alliances were realized in different regions, Kılıç said, “The D8 Alliance, which consists of Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria and Egypt, and MIKTA, which consists of Mexico, Indonesia, North Korea, Turkey and Australia, It sets an example for similar geographically distant countries to cooperate.” said. Underlining that the cooperation developed by the Ukraine-Poland-England trio at this point is different from the said alliances, Kılıç claimed that the triple rapprochement emerged against the Russian threat.
Suggesting that Georgia may also be included in the said alliance in the future, Kılıç expressed, “Georgia has wanted to be a member of NATO from the very beginning. I think Georgia will also apply to join this alliance after the triple alliance is established,” said.
Prof. Dr. Sait Yılmaz: The Triple Alliance should be seen as a defense structure against the Russian threat.
Emphasizing that the alliance developed by Ukraine, Poland, and England is not an alternative to NATO and the EU, Prof. Sait Yılmaz made his comment, “Despite the triple alliance is defined as a political union, it should be seen as a defense structure against the Russian threat.”
Alleging that the alliance will receive the support of the United States of America (USA), Yılmaz said, “Eastern Europe and the Black Sea are getting accustomed to such small alliances. In 1991, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary formed the Visegrad Group. The Northern and Baltic countries also have a cooperation structure that brings eight countries together. Another body is the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) between Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Furthermore, similar small alliances have always been formed in the region.”
Yılmaz reminded that Britain would impose sanctions if Russia invaded Ukraine by claiming that Britain sent anti-tank ammunition to Ukraine from Germany’s airspace. Moreover, Yılmaz emphasized that Polish support is also prominent in this regard.
Journalist Deniz Berktay: The fact that some important countries such as Germany prevented arms sales to Ukraine prompted Kyiv to seek urgent solutions.
Journalist Deniz Berktay, who said that the triple alliance is still in the establishment stage, stated that the proposal for the alliance was voiced by Ukraine in November of 2021. Berktay said, “On the one side, there is a reality about Ukraine’s NATO membership will not take place in the near future; On the other side, the fact that some leading countries, such as Germany, in NATO, prevented arms sales to Ukraine, prompted Kyiv to seek urgent solutions.” said.
Referring to the comments of the Ukrainian experts on the alliance, Berktay stated that the experts believe that limited alliances such as the Small Entente will be more functional than the alliances in which many countries with significant differences of interest are located.
Berktay said that Poland has also taken similar initiatives by stating that the UK has been leading anti-Russian initiatives in Eastern Europe for the last two years, Berktay claimed, “Poland seeks to create a security cordon for itself against Russia. In this context, it supports pro-Western governments in Belarus and Ukraine and tries to bring anti-Russian groups to power. This is partly why Poland intervened so quickly in the migrant crisis with Belarus and supported the pro-Western revolutions in Ukraine in 2004 and 2014.” Finally, Berktay added that if the triple alliance is established, the tension between Russia and the US-British Bloc may increase even more.
