T. Andreeva, Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO), 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation (andreeva@imemo.ru)
Abstract. The article is devoted to the Anglo-American "special relationship" maintaining under two U.S. governments of Barak Obama and two Britain's governments – the coalition government of David Cameron-Nicholas Clegg and the conservative government of D. Cameron. The paper covers the evolution of the bilateral relationship from worsening to improving, which came into being amid the American economic and military resources overheating due to the shift of the U.S. political interest from Europe to the Pacific region and overstretch of American military communications as a result. The author scrutinizes only two main fields of this "special relationship": political and military cooperation. International events and political steps of both countries have rescued their relations from the collapse and have boosted them. The article deals with the role of such international crises as wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, combating the Islamic State (Islamic jihadists) and the Ukrainian crisis in preserving the speciality of Anglo-American relations. The author comes to a conclusion that Britain's participation in military operations around the world as the main partner of the U.S. is the main reason for improving the bilateral relationship. The attention is paid to the trends in cooperation making the relationship special, such as nuclear, sea and intelligence cooperation. The partnership between two countries in NATO is also highlighted. The author regards the movement for Scottish secession from the United Kingdom as one of political tendencies in the British society which bring uncertainties to Britain–U.S. relations. Special attention is paid to another political trend in the British society – the movement for Britain's exit from the European Union, which is a real threat for Anglo-American "special relationship", because it can ruin its traditional pillar – the bridge between the U.S. and Europe. The author tries to answer the question about perspectives of Anglo-American "special relationship" under the Cameron's government.
Keywords: Great Britain, U.S., Russia, Anglo-American "special relationship", Britain's foreign policy, NATO, EU
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