institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Russia-UK relations 2020: An expert opinion
- 29 December 2020
On 29 December 2020 Alexey Gromyko, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Europe RAS and Elena Ananieva, Head of the Center for UK Studies at the Institute of Europe RAS participated in the online discussion "Russia-UK relations 2020: an expert opinion".
The event was organized by the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund in partnership with the Scottish group "Friends of Russia". The Scottish Group "Friends of Russia" is a public initiative that includes acting politicians and public figures. It was named in the wake of the Edinburgh Dialogues, a format of political consultations between experts and the public of the USSR and the UK, which first emerged in the 1980s. The Edinburgh Dialogues were revived in 2017 and now take place annually.
The experts from Russia and Great Britain in online discussion reflected on the following topics:
- London and Moscow: historical confrontation, allies of the anti-Hitler coalition. Who are we today?
- Brexit and the pandemic: who is winning that competition?
- The new US administration. Who is more convenient for London: Biden or Trump?
- London and Edinburgh – together or apart? Will the Union Jack remain united? Scotland’s position and a perspective from Russia.
- Myths about Russia in Great Britain and misperceptions about the British in Russia. How to expand knowledge about each other? What prevents ordinary people of the two countries from communicating?
- What is the attitude of the Russian public to constitutional amendments?
The discussion was also attended from the Russian side by Ivan Popov, Associate Professor at the Department of Diplomacy at MGIMO University and researchers of the Center for UK Studies, Institute of Europe (RAS). From the British side: Jim Sillars, politician, member of the Scottish National Party, former member of the British Parliament; Joseph Farrell, Professor, Head of the Department of Italian Studies at University of Strathclyde (Glasgow); Christopher Bellamy, Professor, maritime security expert at the University of Greenwich, visiting Professor of Pembroke College (Oxford), Tom Walker, businessman.
Discussion moderator - Elena Ananieva
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/WZJ5qjSqaL8 
