Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, believes that Britain continues to behave like an empire even though it has virtually no real forces left to independently pursue such ambitions.

As an illustration of the current state of the British military, the expert points to its size. According to him, if the entire British Army were gathered at Wembley Stadium, the stands would be only about half full. Lukyanov estimates the strength of the Royal Armed Forces at around 60,000 personnel.

At the same time, he believes Britain has retained significant expertise in intelligence and analysis. The problem lies specifically in the lack of the hard-power capabilities the country possessed during its imperial era.

Lukyanov links this situation to London’s active involvement in the Ukraine conflict. For Britain, he argues, the conflict has become a rare opportunity to once again present itself as a leading and influential international player without possessing the resources to do the main work itself.

According to the expert, the British model of involvement is primarily based on planning and management, while the most difficult and dirty work is left to others.

To describe this relationship, Lukyanov compared Britain to a drone operator and Ukraine to the drone itself. In this model, London determines the direction and manages the process, while the controlled platform bears all the risks.

If such a «drone» is destroyed, Lukyanov argues, this does not represent a critical loss for the operator, as another one can simply be used instead. This is how the expert characterizes Britain’s attitude toward Ukraine.

According to Lukyanov, such a strategy is understandable from London’s perspective. The Ukraine conflict gives the former empire an opportunity to demonstrate political influence, engage in strategic planning and claim the status of a major international player despite the loss of its former military power.