In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Ebrahim Bagheri stated that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Britain’s positions and actions have been completely against Russia and in the company of the United States, noting: Historically, Britain has always been in the group of Atlanticist countries in the field of European security, and has defended NATO and the existence of American bases throughout Europe, and criticized European countries that wanted to form a European army independent of NATO, emphasizing that even though any kind of European independent army is formed, NATO should be next to it as the most important security umbrella of the United States in Europe.

Saying that this approach shows Britain’s strategy towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and added: Britain is in sync with Eastern European countries, which admit that if NATO and the US reduce their support for those countries, the European Union with independent European defense mechanisms, will not be able to defend them against Russia’s expansionism alone.

While explaining the military aid that Britain has sent to Ukraine since the start of the war in that country, the analyst of Europe affairs said: According to the report of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, from January to October 2022, the United States provided 27.6 billion euros in military aid, about 9.5 billion euros of humanitarian aid and 15.2 billion euros of financial aid to Ukraine. After that, the set of institutions of European countries, including the “European Investment Bank” and the “European Development and Infrastructure Bank” have been the main institutions helping Ukraine, which have provided most of the financial assistance. Such institutions have provided 12.3 billion euros in financial aid, 2.50 billion euros in military aid and 1.42 billion euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Bagheri explained: After the United States and the group of European institutions, Britain has given the largest amount of aid to Ukraine, and of course, Britain’s military aid to Ukraine has been more than all European institutions. During the mentioned period, Britain has provided the highest military and arms aid to Ukraine, after the United States, with 3.74 billion euros. Also, this country has provided 2.54 billion euros in financial aid and a small amount of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Saying that after the war in Ukraine, the amount of military aid from other European countries has gradually decreased and the amount of their humanitarian aid has increased, he pointed out that the weapons that Britain has provided to Ukraine are mostly in the form of long-range missiles, anti-tank weapons, armored vehicles, drones, air defense system and anti-tank missile, special weapons for destroying buildings, explosives and electronic warfare equipment and many other equipment.

The analyst of Europe affairs continued: The United States and Britain have special relations with each other and have generally pursued close approaches in most military and security crises after the World War II. They have come to the conclusion that Russia must lose the war in Ukraine by any means possible, and believe that if Russia wins the war, its expansionism will be uncontrollable in attacking other Eastern European countries.

Bagheri said: European countries and at a higher level the United States and Britain believe that with Russia’s victory in the Ukraine war, not only credibility and dignity of the European Union and NATO will be lost, but it will also appear that even the support of Europe and NATO had not been enough to protect the Eastern European countries from Russian ambitions. In other words, this is a big failure for each and every European countries and the United States, and it will discredit Western institutions, especially NATO.

While reminding that in the case of NATO presence in Ukraine, the distance of this military-security agreement with Moscow will reach its lowest level in history, to about 400 kilometers, he added: If Russia wins in Ukraine, all European security relations will be disrupted and the European regional security system will be redrawn, and Russia will be in this redrawing which will have the upper hand and this expansionism may even reach other Eastern European countries. In fact, from the point of view of the US and Britain, the winner of this war will draw and determine the regional order of Europe.

The expert on Europe affairs, stating that in the case of Russia’s victory in Ukraine, the European security map will be drawn with Russia’s priorities and interests by Putin, reminded: Britain, under the Atlanticist approach, believes that the US bases in Europe and NATO should be expanded and Europe cannot provide the security of the European countries alone. This issue has been effective in Britain’s approach to the war in Ukraine, and because of it, it has reached the necessity of increasing military aid and announcing that if Ukraine wins this war, this hypothesis that the protective umbrella of the US and the Atlanticist countries ensures the order and security of Europe, will remain in force again and will be strengthened.

Bagheri stated that in Europe, some countries like France believe that in order to ensure regional peace and order in Europe, military weapons should be sent to Ukraine with more consideration and caution, and more humanitarian and financial aid should be provided and continued: There are many criticisms of France and the statistics show that this country is among the countries that tried to have more financial and humanitarian aid than military aid. From January to October 2022, this country has provided 800 million euros in financial aid and about 220 million euros in military aid to Ukraine. France believes that direct military aid to Ukraine will escalate tensions and create a war of attrition, and this war may reach dangerous dimensions, such as the use of tactical nuclear weapons, and will completely transform the European regional security order.

Recalling that the United States and Britain are more in favor of the hardware approach in security and military matters, he said: Britain does not have high trade with Russia and is not dependent on that country in terms of gas and energy resources. Therefore, it is not worried about the future of its relations with Russia, even in the field of exploitation of Nord Stream 1 and 2; it has been a critic of those projects alongside the United States.