Britain
Five years on, Brexit’s full impact still unfolding
On 31 January 2020, at 11 p.m. London time—midnight in Brussels—the UK officially left the bloc following nearly five decades of membership that had enabled free trade and movement between Britain and 27 other European nations, reports AP.
For Brexit supporters, this was the moment the UK reclaimed its sovereignty. For opponents, it signified a nation diminished and isolated.
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Undoubtedly, the country was deeply divided, having taken a step into the unknown. Five years later, individuals and businesses continue to grapple with the economic, social, and cultural repercussions.
“The impact has been quite profound,” said political scientist Anand Menon, who leads the think tank UK in a Changing Europe. “It has reshaped our economy.
“And our politics has been fundamentally altered as well,” he continued. “A new division surrounding Brexit has become embedded in electoral politics.”
A Nation Divided by Its Decision
As an island nation with a strong sense of historical significance, Britain had always had a complex relationship with the EU. The 2016 referendum on whether to remain or leave came after decades of deindustrialisation, years of public spending cuts, and high immigration—circumstances that allowed the pro-Brexit argument to thrive, promising the UK would ‘take back control’ of its borders, laws, and economy.
Yet the result—52% voting to leave and 48% to remain—came as a shock to many. Neither the Conservative government, which had campaigned to stay, nor pro-Brexit campaigners had prepared for the complexities of the separation.
The aftermath of the referendum saw years of tense negotiations over the terms of the split, with a divided UK and an embattled EU locked in prolonged disputes. The deadlock in Parliament ultimately brought down Prime Minister Theresa May, who was succeeded in 2019 by Boris Johnson, vowing to “get Brexit done.”
However, the reality was far from straightforward.
A Blow to the UK Economy
The UK left without an agreement on its future economic relationship with the EU, which had accounted for half its trade. What followed was 11 months of contentious negotiations, culminating in a last-minute trade deal on Christmas Eve 2020.
While the agreement ensured goods could move without tariffs or quotas, it introduced new bureaucracy, costs, and delays for businesses.
“It has cost us money. We are definitely slower and it’s more expensive. But we’ve survived,” said Lars Andersen, whose London-based company, My Nametags, ships children’s clothing labels to over 150 countries.
To continue trading with the EU, Andersen had to establish a base in Ireland, through which all EU-bound orders must pass before reaching customers. While he considers the effort worthwhile, he notes that some small businesses have ceased EU trade altogether or relocated manufacturing outside the UK.
Julianne Ponan, CEO of allergen-free food company Creative Nature, saw her growing export business to the EU collapse post-Brexit. Since then, she has successfully pivoted to markets in the Middle East and Australia, a shift she views as a positive outcome of leaving the EU.
Now that she has navigated the bureaucratic hurdles, she is cautiously rebuilding business ties with Europe.
“But we’ve lost four years of growth there,” she admitted. “And that’s the sad part. We would be much further along if Brexit hadn’t happened.”
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According to the UK government’s Office for Budget Responsibility, long-term UK exports and imports are expected to be approximately 15% lower than if the country had remained in the EU, with economic productivity reduced by 4%.
Brexit advocates argue that this short-term economic strain will be outweighed by Britain’s ability to forge its own global trade deals. Since leaving the EU, the UK has signed agreements with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
However, trade expert David Henig of the European Centre for International Political Economy suggests these deals have not compensated for the decline in trade with Europe.
“The big players haven’t suffered as much,” Henig explained. “We still have Airbus, we still have Scotch whisky. We still do defence and pharmaceuticals. But mid-sized businesses are struggling to maintain their export position. And new firms aren’t entering the market.”
Unintended Consequences
In many ways, Brexit has unfolded differently from what both supporters and critics anticipated. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added further economic turmoil, making it difficult to isolate Brexit’s precise impact.
One key area where expectations have not been met is immigration. A major motivation for many Leave voters was a desire to reduce immigration. Yet, post-Brexit, immigration has surged, as the UK has granted significantly more work visas to individuals from outside Europe.
Meanwhile, the return of protectionist political figures, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump, has placed Britain in a precarious position—caught between Europe and its long-standing ‘special relationship’ with the United States.
“The world is a far less forgiving place now than it was in 2016 when we voted to leave,” noted Menon.
Can Britain and the EU Rebuild Their Relationship?
Public sentiment towards Brexit appears to have shifted, with polls indicating a majority now view the decision as a mistake. However, the prospect of rejoining the EU remains remote. With divisions still fresh, few are eager to reopen the debate.
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, elected in July 2024, has pledged to improve relations with the EU but has ruled out re-entering the customs union or single market. His approach focuses on incremental changes, such as easing restrictions for touring artists and recognising professional qualifications, alongside deeper cooperation on security and law enforcement.
While EU leaders have welcomed the change in tone, their focus remains on internal challenges, with the UK no longer a priority.
“I completely understand—it’s difficult to rebuild trust after such a tough divorce,” said Andersen. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful that the UK and EU will gradually move closer again.
“I suspect it will happen,” he said. “But it will be slow and subtle—without politicians making a big fuss about it.”
25 days ago
Ancient DNA reveals women’s key role in Celtic social networks in Britain
Female family ties were at the heart of social networks in Celtic society in Britain before the Roman invasion, a new analysis suggests.
Genetic evidence from a late Iron Age cemetery shows that women were closely related while unrelated men tended to come into the community from elsewhere, likely after marriage.
An examination of ancient DNA recovered from 57 graves in Dorset in southwest England shows that two-thirds of the individuals were descended from a single maternal lineage. The cemetery was used from around 100 B.C. to 200 A.D.
“That was really jaw-dropping – it’s never been observed before in European prehistory,” said study co-author Lara Cassidy, a geneticist at Trinity College Dublin.
The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggest that women stayed in the same circles throughout life – maintaining social networks and likely inheriting or managing land and property.
Meanwhile “it’s your husband who is coming in as a relative stranger, dependent on a wife’s family for land and livelihood,” said Cassidy.
This pattern – called matrilocality – is historically rare.
Archaeologists studying grave sites in Britain and Europe have previously only detected the opposite pattern – women leaving their homes to join their husband’s family group – in other ancient time periods, from the neolithic to the early Medieval period, said Guido Gnecchi-Ruscone at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, who was not part of the study.
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In studies of pre-industrial societies from around 1800 to the present, anthropologists found that men join their wives’ extended family households only 8% of the time, said Cassidy.
But archaeologists already knew there was something special about the role of women in Iron Age Britain. A patchwork of tribes with closely related languages and art styles – sometimes referred to as Celtic – lived in England before the Roman invasion in 43 A.D. Valuable items have been found buried with Celtic women, and Roman writers, including Julius Caesar, wrote with disdain about their relative independence and fighting prowess.
The pattern of strong female kinship connections that the researchers found does not necessarily imply that women also held formal positions of political power, called matriarchy.
But it does suggest that women had some control of land and property, as well as strong social support, making Britain’s Celtic society “more egalitarian than the Roman world,” said study co-author and Bournemouth University archaeologist Miles Russell.
1 month ago
Britain’s Treasury chief kicks off China visit
Britain’s Treasury chief kicked off a visit to China on Saturday aimed at boosting economic and financial cooperation between the countries, as the UK’s Labour government seeks to reset strained ties with Beijing.
Rachel Reeves, who is traveling with a delegation of British business leaders, will meet top Chinese finance and economic officials including Vice Premier He Lifeng.
“Growth is the number one mission of this Labour government. And to grow the economy, we need to help great British businesses export around the world,” Reeves said on Saturday as she visited a store of the British folding bike maker Brompton in Beijing.
She added the aim of her visit was “to unlock tangible benefits for British businesses exporting and trading around the world, to ensure that we have greater access to the second biggest economy in the world.”
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A priority for Reeves’ trip is reviving the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue — annual bilateral talks that have been suspended since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating relations. London hopes renewed dialogues will help bring down barriers that UK businesses face when looking to export or expand to China.
The talks were shelved after ties sourced following a series of spying allegations from both sides, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war and a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, a former British colony.
British officials said Reeves will also urge Beijing to stop its material and economic support for the Russian war effort in Ukraine and raise the issue of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
The delegation includes Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and the CEOs of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the London Stock Exchange Group. Senior executives from some of Britain’s biggest financial services firms, including the group chairmen of HSBC and Standard Chartered, were also included.
Reeves’ visit comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy travelled to China in October and Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil in November.
It's all part of a bid by Starmer, who was elected as leader in July, to strengthen political and economic ties with China, the UK’s fourth-largest single trading partner according to the Treasury.
Officials said Starmer wanted a “pragmatic” approach to working with Beijing on global stability, climate change and the transition to clean energy.
But some in the opposition Conservative Party have criticized his stance and said trade ties should not come at the expense of national security and human rights concerns.
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British political leaders and intelligence chiefs have warned repeatedly that China poses security threats. Calls to tackle the challenge grew louder last month when it emerged that an alleged Chinese spy had cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew and carried out “covert and deceptive activity” for China’s ruling Communist Party, according to officials.
“National security is the foundation of what any government acting in the national interest will prioritize,” Reeves said. “But we need to make sure that we have pragmatic and good relations with countries around the world. That is in our national interest.”
1 month ago
King’s coronation draws apathy, criticism in former colonies
When King Charles III is crowned on Saturday, soldiers carrying flags from the Bahamas, South Africa, Tuvalu and beyond will march alongside British troops in a spectacular military procession in honor of the monarch.
For some, the scene will affirm the ties that bind Britain and its former colonies. But for many others in the Commonwealth, a group of nations mostly made up of places once claimed by the British Empire, Charles’ coronation is seen with apathy at best.
In those countries, the first crowning of a British monarch in 70 years is an occasion to reflect on oppression and colonialism’s bloody past. The displays of pageantry in London will jar especially with growing calls in the Caribbean to sever all ties with the monarchy.
“Interest in British royalty has waned since more Jamaicans are waking to the reality that the survivors of colonialism and the holocaust of slavery are yet to receive reparatory justice,” the Rev. Sean Major-Campbell, an Anglican priest in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, said.
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The coronation is “only relevant in so far as it kicks us in the face with the reality that our head of state is simply so by virtue of biology,” Major-Campbell added.
As British sovereign, Charles is also head of state of 14 other countries, though the role is largely ceremonial. These realms, which include Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, represent a minority of the Commonwealth nations: most of the 56 members are republics, even if some still sport the Union Jack on their flags.
Barbados was the most recent Commonwealth country to remove the British monarch as its head of state, replacing Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with an elected president in 2021. The decision spurred similar republican movements in neighboring Jamaica, the Bahamas and Belize.
Last year, when Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness welcomed Prince William and his wife, Kate, during a royal tour of the Caribbean, he announced that his country intends to become fully independent. It made for an awkward photo with the royal couple, who were also confronted with protests calling for Britain to pay slavery reparations.
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William, the heir to the throne, observed later in the same trip that the relationship between the monarchy and the Caribbean has evolved. The royal family will “support with pride and respect your decisions about your future,” he told a reception in the Bahamas.
Rosalea Hamilton, an advocate for changing Jamaica’s Constitution to get rid of the royals, said she was organizing a coronation day forum to engage more Jamaicans in the process of political reform.
The timing of the event is meant to “signal to the head of state that the priority is to move away from his leadership, rather than focus on his coronation,” Hamilton said.
Two days ahead of Charles’ crowning, campaigners from 12 Commonwealth countries wrote to the monarch urging him to apologize for the legacies of British colonialism.
Among the signatories was Lidia Thorpe, an Australian senator, who said Thursday that Charles should “begin a process of repairing the damage of colonization, including returning the stolen wealth that has been taken from our people.”
Buckingham Palace said last month that Charles supported research into the historical links between Britain’s monarchy and the transatlantic slave trade. The king takes the issue “profoundly seriously,” and academics will be given access to the royal collection and archives, the palace said.
In India, once the jewel of the British Empire, there’s scant media attention and very little interest in the coronation. Some people living in the country’s vast rural hinterlands may not have even heard of King Charles III.
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“India has moved on,” and most Indians “have no emotional ties with the royal family,” Pavan K. Varma, a writer and former diplomat, said. Instead, the royals are seen more like amusing celebrities, he said.
And while the country still values its economic and cultural ties with the European country, Varma pointed out that India’s economy has overtaken the U.K.’s.
“Britain has shrunk globally into a medium-sized power,” he said. “This notion needs to be removed, that here is a former colony riveted to the television watching the coronation of Prince Charles. I don’t think this is happening in India.”
Since gaining independence in 1947, India has moved to shed the vestiges of British imperialism. The statue of King George V that used to stand near the India Gate monument in New Delhi was moved in the 1960s to Coronation Park. Once the scene of celebrations honoring Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and George V, the park is now a repository for representations of former monarchs and officials of the British Raj in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led a renewed push to reclaim India’s past and erase “symbols of slavery” from the country’s time under the British crown. His government has scrubbed away colonial-era street names, some laws and even flag symbols.
“I don’t think we should care much about (the royals),” Milind Akhade, a photographer in New Delhi, said. “They enslaved us for so many years.”
In Nairobi, Kenya, motorcycle taxi driver Grahmat Luvisia was similarly dismissive of the idea of following the coronation on TV.
“I will not be interested in watching the news or whatever is happening over there because we have been mistreated back then by those colonizers,” he said.
Herman Manyora, a political analyst and journalism professor at the University of Nairobi, said memories of Britain’s harsh response to the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s are still raw.
Many Kenyans will not watch the coronation “because of the torture during colonialism, because of the oppression, because of detentions, because of killings, because of the alienation of our land,” Manyora said.
Not everyone is as critical. In Uganda, political analyst Asuman Bisiika says British culture continues to have a strong influence on young people in the East African country, especially those who follow English soccer. There is also a lot of goodwill for Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September after 70 years on the throne.
“It’s not about caring for the British monarchy,” Bisiika said. “It’s about relating.”
In the South African city of Durban, expat British communities have planned a live screening of the coronation ceremony, complete with trumpeters to announce the moment the Archbishop of Canterbury crowns Charles. On Sunday, there will be a special church service followed by a picnic or a “braai,” a traditional South African barbecue.
“I think people want to be part of an important moment in history,” Illa Thompson, one of the organizers of the festivities, said.
Experts say that despite its flaws, historical baggage and fraying edges, the Commonwealth still holds appeal, especially for poorer nations. Gabon and Togo, which are former French colonies with no colonial links to Britain, became the association’s newest members last year. Most observers believe countries like Jamaica that want an elected head of state are likely to retain their memberships.
“Countries, whether they benefit or not, feel like they need to have this closeness to Britain as an economic entity,” said Kehinde Andrews, a professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University. “As much as there will be still be some dissent — (Charles) is not as popular as his mother — it’s all about the economics.”
1 year ago
Britain to start free trade with New Zealand and Australia
Britain's free trade agreements with New Zealand and Australia will come into force by the end of this month, the leaders from the three nations said Friday.
The announcement came while the prime ministers from the two Southern Hemisphere nations are in London for the coronation of King Charles III.
The deals are part of Britain's efforts to expand its economic ties after it left the European Union. Both deals were first agreed to in 2021.
New Zealand officials say its deal will help boost sales of products like wine, butter, beef and honey, and will increase the size of its economy by up to 1 billion New Zealand dollars ($629 million).
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it was a gold-standard agreement.
"The market access outcomes are among the very best New Zealand has secured in any trade deal,” Hipkins said in a statement.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal with New Zealand reflected the close relationship between the nations.
“This deal will unlock new opportunities for businesses and investors across New Zealand and the United Kingdom, drive growth, boost jobs, and, most importantly, build a more prosperous future for the next generation,” Sunak said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it would mean more market access for its exporters.
“So for beef, for our sheep products, for our seafood, for our other products it will mean much greater access to the British market,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in an interview.
Albanese said it would also mean greater access for younger Australians to work in Britain and vice versa after the terms of a working holiday arrangement were expanded.
A similar scheme between New Zealand and Britain has also been expanded, increasing the length of working visas from two years to three years and the maximum eligible age from 30 to 35.
1 year ago
Now that the Queen is dead, will India get Kohinoor back?
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, UK’s longest-reigning monarch, many Indians are demanding the return of the fabled diamond called Kohinoor or Koh-i-noor that was put in a crown created for the late queen’s mother.
Indian Twitterati started demanding that the 105-carat oval-shaped jewel, the name of which translates to “Mountain of Light”, be brought back to its place of origin shortly after Queen Elizabeth’s demise.
Kohinoor is the focal point of the Queen Mother’s crown, and is said to be one of the most expensive jewels in existence. The diamond was found in India’s Golconda mines in the 14th century, and over the centuries, it changed ownership several times. Kohinoor’s return has been asked by the Indian government on numerous occasions, notably once in 1947. Britain, however, has continually disputed the claims.
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Who gets the crown with Kohinoor after Queen Elizabeth’s death?
Several latest reports state that Queen Consort Camilla will now wear the crown with the illustrious diamond. She will be anointed at the same time as King Charles III.
Will Britain ever return the Kohinoor to India?
There are reportedly no intentions to return the gem. Former British Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma stated, “The UK government believes that there aren’t any legal grounds for recovery of the diamond,” during a visit to India in 2016.
How Kohinoor went to Britain from India
There is a certain time when the Kohinoor first appears in the written record. Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, ordered a magnificent, gem-encrusted throne in 1628. The ornate creation took its design cues from the throne of Solomon, the legendary Hebrew king who appears in the annals of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
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The Kohinoor diamond and the Timur Ruby were two very large gems that would eventually become the most valuable of all the precious stones that decorated the throne. The diamond was set in the head of a gleaming gemstone peacock at the very top of the throne.
Such wealth caught the interest of other kings in Central Asia, such as Nader Shah of Persia.
Invasion of Delhi by Nader Shah in 1739 claimed tens of thousands of lives and depleted the Mughal Empire’s finances. Nader supposedly grabbed the Peacock Throne as part of his loot, but he took out the Kohinoor diamond and the Timur Ruby to wear on a wristband, the Smithsonian Magazine feature adds.
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The Kohinoor diamond would spend 70 years away from India, in what would eventually become Afghanistan. In one tragedy after another, it changed hands between several kings, including one who blinded his own son and another who was overthrown and had his head covered in molten gold.
After years of conflict, the diamond made its way back to India and was acquired by the Sikh king Ranjit Singh in 1813. Singh’s specific affinity for Kohinoor solidified the gem’s aura of status and power. Following Ranjit Singh’s passing in 1839, the crown was held by four different people during a period of four years. At the end of all the chaos, just a boy named Duleep Singh and his mother Rani Jindan remained in line for the crown.
The British, who had by then solidified their grasp on India, forced Duleep to sign a legal document, requiring the 10-year-old boy to give up the Kohinoor and all claims to sovereignty, the Smithsonian Magazine feature says.
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From that point forward, Queen Victoria was the proud owner of the diamond. Victoria wore Kohinoor as a brooch, but it later became a piece of the Crown Jewels.
2 years ago
When Bollywood actor Padmini Kolhapure kissed King Charles
It was a kiss that hogged media limelight in India and Britain in the early 1980s when social media was a distant dream.
Bollywood actor Padmini Kolhapure posted the kiss on the cheek of King Charles, then a Prince and heir to the British throne, after garlanding him as the latter visited the sets of her 1981 film 'Ahista Ahista' in Mumbai.
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The kiss not only became the talk of the town in India and also made the Bollywood actor famous in Britain as the "woman who kissed Prince Charles".
"It was just a peck on the cheek...the media took it somewhere else. It was no big deal," Kolhapure had later said in an interview with a local media outlet.
Kolhapure began acting as a child artiste in 1972 at the age of 7. In 1976 and 1977, she acted in two hit flicks -- 'Zindagi' and 'Dream Girl', respectively. But she hogged limelight for her role in 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'.
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She became a sensation when iconic filmmaker Raj Kapoor cast her as the lead heroine in 'Prem Rog' in 1982 opposite his son Rishi Kapoor.
Kolhapure went on to give box office hits with her performances in 'Vidhaata' (1982), 'Souten' (1983) and 'Pyar Jhukta Nahin' (1985). She later forayed into the regional Marathi films.
2 years ago
Diana's car auctioned as 25th anniversary of her death nears
A car driven by Princess Diana in the 1980s sold for 650,000 pounds ($764,000) at auction Saturday, just days before the 25th anniversary of her death.
Silverstone Auctions said there was “fierce bidding” for the black Ford Escort RS Turbo before the sale closed. The U.K. buyer, whose name was not disclosed, paid a 12.5% buyer’s premium on top of the selling price, according to the classic car auction house.
Britain and Diana’s admirers worldwide are preparing to mark a quarter century since her death. She died in a high-speed car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997.
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Diana drove the Escort from 1985 to 1988. She was photographed with it outside boutique shops in Chelsea and restaurants in Kensington. She preferred to drive her own car, with a member of her security team in the passenger seat.
The RS Turbo Series 1 was typically manufactured in white, but she got it in black to be more discreet. Ford also added features for her security, such as a second rear-view mirror for the protection officer.
The car has just under 25,000 miles on it.
Last year, another Ford Escort that Diana used sold at auction for 52,000 pounds ($61,100).
2 years ago
Britain, India call for immediate cease-fire in Ukraine
India and Britain on Friday called on Russia for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced steps to help move New Delhi away from its dependence on Russia by expanding economic and defense ties.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told reporters that he and Johnson discussed the situation in Ukraine, underscoring the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to settle issues.
“Both sides also called for a free, open, inclusive and rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific,″ Modi said in an apparent reference to China’s increasing assertiveness in the region.
Johnson did not pressure Modi to take a tougher stand against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, said Harsh Shringla, India’s foreign secretary.
Johnson told reporters that India had come out strongly against the killings in Bucha earlier this month.
The British prime minister also said “he (Modi) has already intervened several times with Vladimir Putin to ask him what on Earth he is doing and where it is going.”
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Johnson said the two countries will try to conclude a free trade deal by October that is expected to double their current $50 billion bilateral trade by 2030.
“There are some difficult issues — like a tariff on whisky is a tough one. It would be great if we could fix that. But there are big opportunities, we can get it done. I’m optimistic,” he said.
Johnson switched over to the Hindi language to describe Modi as a “Khaas Dost,” or special friend, and said, “Our relations have never been as strong or as good between us as they are now,”
Johnson said Britain will issue an open general export license to India, reducing bureaucracy and shortening delivery times for defense procurement.
“This is our first OGEL in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Johnson also announced $1.29 billion in new investments and export deals in areas from software engineering and artificial intelligence to health, creating almost 11,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.
India welcomed Britain’s commitment to invest $1 billion in climate-related projects in India between 2022 and 2026, according to a joint statement issued after the talks between the leaders.
The two countries also agreed to collaborate on the manufacturing of defense equipment, systems, spare parts and components under the “Make in India” program through a transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures.
“They noted cooperation in key areas of strategic collaboration, including modern fighter aircraft and jet engine advanced core technology,” it said.
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The two countries are also committing up to $96.8 million to roll out adaptable clean tech innovations from India to the wider Indo-Pacific and Africa, and working together on international development and girls’ education, a British High Commission statement said.
Soon after his arrival in India on Thursday, Johnson said he was aware of the close ties that India and Russia have shared.
“We have to reflect that reality. But clearly, I’ll be talking about it to Narendra Modi,” he told reporters in Ahmedabad, the capital of western Gujarat state, where he landed.
Modi recently called the situation in Ukraine “very worrying” and has appealed to both sides for peace. While India has condemned the killings of civilians in Ukraine, it has so far not criticized Putin, and abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted this month to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.
Modi has also responded coolly to pressure from U.S. President Joe Biden and others to curb imports of Russian oil in response to the invasion.
Johnson said Friday that “the world faces growing threats from autocratic states which seek to undermine democracy, choke off free and fair trade and trample on sovereignty.”
“Our collaboration on the issues that matter to both our countries, from climate change to energy security and defense, is of vital importance as we look to the future,″ he said.
The British High Commission statement said Britain is offering next-generation defense and security collaboration across five domains — land, sea, air, space and cyber — to face complex new threats.
Britain will also seek to support India’s requirements for new technology to identify and respond to threats in the Indian Ocean, the statement said.
Johnson said he and Modi also discussed new cooperation on clean and renewable energy, aimed at supporting India’s energy transition away from imported oil and increasing its resilience through secure and sustainable energy.
India receives relatively little of its oil from Russia, but ramped up purchases recently because of discounted prices. India is a major buyer of Russian weapons, and recently purchased advanced Russian air defense systems.
2 years ago
Britain says Russia seeking to replace Ukraine government
The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, and said former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev is being considered as a potential candidate.
Murayev is head of the small pro-Russian party Nashi, which currently has no seats in Ukraine’s parliament.
Britain’s Foreign Office named several other Ukrainian politicians it said had links with Russian intelligence services.
It’s unclear what means Britain believes Russia might use to install a friendly government in Kyiv.
The U.K. government made the claim based on an intelligence assessment, without providing evidence to back it up. It comes amid a war of words between Moscow and the West over Russia’s designs on Ukraine.
READ: US and Russia try to lower temperature in Ukraine crisis
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the information “shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking.”
Truss urged Russia to “de-escalate, end its campaigns of aggression and disinformation, and pursue a path of diplomacy,” and reiterated Britain’s view that “any Russian military incursion into Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake with severe costs.”
Britain has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine as part of efforts to bolster its defenses against a potential Russian attack.
Amid diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is expected to meet Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for talks in Moscow. No timing has been given for the meeting, which would be the first U.K.-Russia bilateral defense talks since 2013.
The U.S. has mounted an aggressive campaign in recent months to unify its European allies against a new Russian invasion of Ukraine. The White House called the U.K. government assessment “deeply concerning” and said it stands with the duly elected Ukrainian government.
“This kind of plotting is deeply concerning,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne. “The Ukrainian people have the sovereign right to determine their own future, and we stand with our democratically-elected partners in Ukraine.”
The assessment came as President Joe Biden spent Saturday at the presidential retreat Camp David outside of Washington huddling with his senior national security team about the Ukraine situation. A White House official said the discussions included efforts to de-escalate the situation with diplomacy and deterrence measures being coordinated closely with allies and partners, including security assistance to Ukraine.
In another development, the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania plan to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move that the United States fully endorsed Saturday amid Kyiv’s escalating tensions with Russia.
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The defense ministers of the three Baltic states said in a joint statement that they “stand united in our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in face of continued Russian aggression.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet that Washington saluted the NATO nations and former Soviet republics “for their longstanding support to Ukraine.”
“I expedited and authorized and we fully endorse transfers of defensive equipment @NATO Allies Estonia Latvia Lithuania are providing to Ukraine to strengthen its ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked and irresponsible aggression,” Blinken said in another tweet.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier this week described the West supplying arms to Ukraine as extremely dangerous and said the shipments “do nothing to reduce tensions.”
Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops near the Russia-Ukraine border, leading to fears of an invasion. The West has rejected Moscow’s main demands — promises from NATO that Ukraine will never be added as a member, that no alliance weapons will be deployed near Russian borders, and that it will pull back its forces from Central and Eastern Europe.
A meeting Friday between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ended with no breakthrough. Amid the uncertain security situation, the U.S. State Department has been considering a range of options to ensure the safety and security of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and its employees by moving to reduce its diplomatic presence there.
The defense ministers of the Baltic states said in their statement that Estonia would provide Javelin anti-tank weapons while Latvia and Lithuania were sending Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and other related equipment to bolster Kyiv’s defensive military capabilities. It wasn’t immediately clear when the weapons and equipment would be sent to Ukraine.
“Today, Ukraine is at the forefront of separating Europe from the military conflict with Russia. Let´s face it, the war in Ukraine is ongoing and it is important to support Ukraine in every way we can so that they can resist the aggressor,” Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said.
Estonia also is seeking Germany’s approval to send Soviet-made howitzers, which once belonged to East Germany, to Ukraine. Estonia acquired the howitzers from non-NATO member Finland, which in turn had bought them from Germany’s military surplus supply in the 1990s.
The German government said Friday that it was considering Estonia’s request to pass the howitzers on to Ukraine but gave no timeline for a decision. Berlin said it planned to coordinate the issue with Finland, which has received a similar approval request from Estonia.
Berlin routinely demands a say when German-sold weapons are transferred to third countries. But some recent media reports suggested German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet could block Estonia’s transfer of weapons to Kyiv, highlighting divisions in the West’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba alleged Saturday that Germany was not showing adequate support for Ukraine.
Kuleba said in a Twitter post that the weapons transfer issue and remarks by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressing skepticism about cutting off Russia from the SWIFT global payments system “do not correspond to the level of our relations and the current security situation.”
Also Saturday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to object to recently circulated video in which the head of the German navy said that Ukraine would not regain the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved “respect.”
The comments by vice admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach sparked consternation and a swift rebuke back in Berlin. By late Saturday, the German navy chief had tendered his resignation, saying he wanted to prevent further damage resulting from his “ill-considered statements” in India.
The U.S. State Department is currently warning U.S. citizens not to visit Ukraine due to the coronavirus pandemic but is also advising them to reconsider travel there due to potential Russian aggression.
Speculation that an announcement about the U.S. diplomatic presence in Ukraine may be imminent has increased since the embassy in Kyiv announced it would hold a virtual town hall meeting about the security situation with U.S. citizens in Ukraine on Tuesday.
Discussions on the matter have been underway for some time, but Blinken went over the contingency plans with the embassy’s security team when he visited Kyiv on Wednesday, officials said.
The officials stressed that no decisions had yet been made and that an outright evacuation is not being considered. One possible scenario would be to order the families of American personnel to leave the country while allowing non-essential staffers to depart voluntarily at government expense, they said.
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