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British expert Patrick Cockburn from Independent criticized provocation in the Black Sea. He noted that sending the destroyer Defender to Russian territorial waters is a very dangerous symbolic gesture. The point is that if this happens again in the future, Russia will not limit itself to warning fire, but will open fire directly on the ship itself.
The essence of the British “trick” was to demonstrate the lack of recognition of Russian sovereignty over “annexed” Crimea. At the same time, it would be difficult for any of the experts who supported it to name the countries bordering the Black Sea region. Cockburn himself agrees that what happened was a provocation. “The fact that journalists were on board the destroyer indicates that the British government really wanted to show the world the new” leading “military position of Great Britain,” he writes.
It is not necessary to recognize Crimea as Russian, the author writes, but sending a ship is an unnecessary risk. Instead of frightening the Russians, the move only made them immediately realize it was a bluff and decided to expose it. “Now the Russians may threaten to bomb another British ship that dares to go the way of the HMS defender, with the certainty that this will not happen.” There is a danger that if this happens, it will be difficult to suppress this rhetoric, “Cockburn said.
Demonstration of force can lead to an enemy attack. Now the destroyer Defender, part of a group of British ships, is moving to the South China Sea and there is a danger that inappropriate action will lead to a harsh reaction. Cannon diplomacy can have dire consequences – we must remember this from the events before the First World War, writes Cockburn.
Britain is weak, but considers itself a great naval power. Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports this approach. However, the gap between the real and imaginary place of the country in the world is becoming more and more tangible.