The first hints of this new alliance were voiced by UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on 21 January.
Speaking at the @LowyInstitute today, #UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz outlined the formation of a new ‘Trilateral’ between the UK, #Poland and #Ukraine. What does this new group look like? And what is its geostrategic purpose? We depict it here in this helpful geopolitical #map! pic.twitter.com/A0HB0jQxvn
— Council on Geostrategy (@ConGeostrategy) January 21, 2022
The Ukrainian website European Pravda previously reported, citing its diplomatic sources, that Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson and Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki planned to announce this new format of cooperation with Ukraine during their visit to Kyiv on February 1.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal in Kyiv, Morawiecki said the announced new format of cooperation between Poland, Ukraine, and the UK was aimed primarily at strengthening security in the region, in which all three countries are interested.
He noted that the main value of such a union is security in the region, and the normal development of the economy, trade, and culture depends on it.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba for the first time announced the details of this new emerging alliance, stating that Ukraine took the initiative to create such a format in October 2021.
Kuleba said that this new format is part of Ukraine’s strategy of small alliances as a proactive foreign policy of Ukraine:
“Let me remind you: the point is that we cannot expect security and prosperity somewhere in the future when we become members of the EU and NATO. We need them today. That is why we are already achieving practical strengthening by uniting friendly and close-minded countries into small alliances. We are creating a belt of security and prosperity and strengthening the Baltic-Black Sea axis. This is how the Lublin Triangle with Poland and Lithuania, the Quadriga with Türkiye, and the Associated Trio with Georgia and Moldova appeared. All of them are successfully developing, gaining weight, and are already bringing concrete benefits to Ukraine.”
He noted that the new format is not tied to local geography, but is an association of countries that “share common principles, seek to strengthen security and develop trade, are ready for concrete action”:
“Warsaw, Kyiv, and London have not only a realistic awareness of security threats to Europe and a strategy to counter Russia’s challenges, but also great potential for tripartite cooperation in trade, investment, and energy, including renewables. By joining forces in the Atlantic, Baltic and Black Seas, we are creating new opportunities for our countries and the region as a whole.”
The official announcement of the creation of this format was planned to take place on 1 February by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of all three countries. But as UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss contracted COVID, the official announcement will take place later, Kuleba said.
