Geopolitics and the Foreign Policy of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has adapted to the geopolitical shift in global affairs since the end of the Cold War. It has utilized its levers of national power to sustain its position internationally, although it has suffered some setbacks. Domestically, public opinion has been divided over the United Kingdom’s relationship with Europe and the United States. However, in foreign policy, it is more a question of continuity rather than change. As a nuclear power, the United Kingdom is committed to its regional NATO alliance to confront the aggression of Russia and seeks to shape the international environment with its convening influence. The UK is also a global actor and has renewed its alliance with the “Five Eyes” nations in order to address the growing assertiveness of China. It continues to use the United Nations, the Commonwealth, and multilateralism to exercise responsible global leadership through the UN Security Council and for its own legitimacy.