Once a staunch ally of Ukraine, Boris Johnson was among the first to rally Western support against Russia’s invasion, proclaiming that backing Kyiv was a “price worth paying for democracy and freedom” at the G7 summit. But alas, political turmoil forced Johnson to step down, and in came Rishi Sunak, whose stance on the matter seems to be a bit lukewarm.
The realization that the West is probably stretching too far had struck the UK. Yes, the same UK has adopted the second most pro-Ukraine stance after the US.
Under Sunak’s watch, the UK’s military officials have expressed concerns about provoking Russia, fearing potential retaliation. Even the former defense secretary, Ben Wallace, spilled the beans on Ukrainian counter-offensives, hinting that Biden didn’t want him as NATO chief.
Moreover, under Sunak’s watch, London Metal Exchange (LME) also announced that it will not prohibit the trading and storage of Russian metal in its system as a sizable percentage of the market continues to purchase Russian metal and things wouldn’t change in 2023.
Unilever’s Pro-Russia Stance
And now, the biggest jolt comes from UK’s big consumer companies. These companies are jumping on the Pro-Russia bandwagon. Unilever, a British consumer goods giant, announced that it will comply with a Russian law allowing conscription of its employees if required for military service.
In a letter to a collective of Ukrainian and Western NGOs earlier this month, Unilever said that it would fully comply with a Russian law requiring all companies operating in the country to permit the conscription of employees, should they be called for military service.
“We always comply with all the laws of the countries we operate in,” Unilever said in the letter, which was published by the BBC
This decision has sparked condemnation from the Ukrainian government, which accuses Unilever of being an “international sponsor of war” for continuing to operate in Russia.
With Russia still recruiting contract soldiers daily and tensions escalating, Unilever’s involvement in the Russian war efforts in Ukraine is certainly raising eyebrows.
It seems like the UK’s alliance with Ukraine might not be as solid as it once appeared, leaving many wondering if there’s a “sort of” alliance with Russia emerging instead. As the plot thickens, the world watches closely to see where this unexpected twist in the tale leads next.
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Sunak is currently drastically changing his views on the Ukraine war, which could soon incite NATO’s wrath. But it appears that the UK and Russia are now advancing towards each other. The US-Ukraine booklet, meanwhile, appears to be thrown out the window.
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