The fall of Kabul in August prompted a heated debate, including in the House of Commons, about British foreign policy and in particular the ‘special relationship’ with the United States. This was followed by the surprise announcement in September of the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United States, which was widely seen as a realignment of the UK with the ‘Anglosphere’, with consequences for the Indo-Pacific.
So how significant are these developments? In particular, do they depart from, or require a rethink of, the logic of the UK’s Integrated Review that was published in March? In other words, where do Afghanistan and AUKUS leave UK foreign policy? And what does this mean for cooperation with Europe?
In this virtual discussion, we will be joined by Ashlee Godwin, one of the authors of the Integrated Review, and Tom McTague, Staff Writer at The Atlantic.
Participants
Chair: Professor Richard Whitman, Associate Fellow, Europe programme
Ashlee Godwin, Senior Specialist in international affairs and national security, House of Commons
Tom McTague, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
