Introduction:
Microwave is a domestic cooking equipment which enhances human existence by offering practical solutions to ease the busy life-styles, hectic business schedules and challenging demands of people and society. Simply, microwave supports human livelihood. Foreign policy, also known as external policy in certain jurisdictions/countries, is a set of strategies and actions deliberated upon by diplomats and experts vested with knowledge and expertise in the field of international relations and international law to interact with other states, unions and international organisations to promote the common good of states and the international community. Working with this simplistic definition of foreign policy, it is plausible that crafting one requires deliberative thinking, strategic planning, conscientious effort over considerable period of time to realise that objective. Unfortunately, the actions of the United Nations of America (US) and states of the European Union (EU), together with the United Kingdom (UK), reflect traits of a microwave foreign policy in the sense that these states consider issuing erratic statements and press briefings as alternatives to foreign policy of their countries, organisations and institutions. The result is the confusion and endemic conflicts ensuing between Ukraine-Russia, Isreal-Gaza, including parts of the middle-east and south China. Against that background, this blogpost (Post) explores some implications of the US, EU and the UK’s foreign policy in relation to both conflicts and the crises affecting war-infested countries in the international community and global peace.
Foreign Policy of US, EU and UK
As stated above, a foreign policy is a deliberative, strategic and time-oriented policy framed by diplomats within foreign ministries together with savvy executive members of governments, to interact with other states with an objective to secure national and international peace within the international community. Starting with the US, the posture of the current Trump administration and successive US governments in relationship with other states, international organisations, coupled with the management of the Ukraine-Russia and Israeli-Gaza crises, characterises foreign policy as disordered and novice experiment. For example, the recurrent indifferent statements of Trump together with myriad sanctions against China, Russia, Europe, African states and many other parts of the world, lend credence to the premise that the US lacked a coherent and concrete foreign policy to relate with other states diplomatically. The plausible explanation for this erratic foreign policy suggests ill-conceived strategic thinking on the part of experts in the US government and foreign department. It also mirrors the microwave analogy because Trump has succeeded in alienating key allies of the US by courting ‘enemies’ of countries around the world. Second, the United Kingdom (UK) has followed the US under the guise of a close ally mantra in churning out confusing statements in place of carefully thought-out foreign policy. Though one would have considered that a true ally promotes the good-will of the other; yet no fair-minded British would deny the fact that Trump’s treatment of the United Kingdom reflects anything of a true ally. This is compounded by the weak leadership of Keir Starmer, who toes Trump’s line, branding the UK as an ally which sheepishly follows in the foot-steps of the US without asserting the welfare and political stability of the British people and society. Notwithstanding labour party’s landslide electoral victory in 2024, under Starmer, the UK appeared to have no concrete foreign policy geared towards promoting peace with its neighbours and to enhance the socioeconomic wellbeing of its citizens and external relationships that foster the growth of the UK and international peace, especially the Israel-Gaza crisis. Despite the fact the UK has had deep interest and relationship in the Israeli-Palestinian politics down the years, it has adopted a blatant microwave policy towards to the crisis by imbibing whatever the US proposes without declaring its independence and contrary position on human rights violations. However, statements after statements by Premier Starmer sound hollow and lack direction without substantive policies on matters relating to global economy and foreign policy directives. This shaky approach originating from distorted thinking, has become pronounced as the current opposition leader, Kimi, keep toying with Starmer during PMs question time over vexatious immigration matters. Third, the European Union (EU), consisting of twenty-seven (27) states, led by Von der Leyen (Leyen), has been the worst of the trio in formulating microwave policies. Leyen, a failed former defence minister of Germany, has been peddling falsehoods about the Russian-Ukraine conflict as a strategy to persuade member states to increase their budgets towards building the union’s military and NATO force. Although this post is not against the Europeans building their own defence capability as a regional force, it frowns upon the articulation and implementation of policy directives to escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict while remaining blind to the misery Israel is inflicting against the Gazans. The indifference shown by the US, EU and other major powerful states towards the suffering of the Gazans by the international community is not only unconscionable betrayal of human rights, but also an abdication of moral authority, emboldening Israel to commit genocide. One point worth emphasising here is that Victor Orban of Hungary appears to be the only moral force advocating genuine proposals to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Furthermore, with the aid of savvy media conglomerates doting the political spaces of the west, voices of the Victor Orban and genuine human rights campaigners are glossed over or characterised as ‘enemy of security’. Yet, as strongly advocated by some genuine moral and honest voices straddling private and independent institutions, including brave academics, the weaponisation of ‘state security’ as a strategy to silence reasoned and factual discussions on the Russia-Ukraine and Isreal- Gaza debacles has failed. However, instead of conscientising the west to chart the path of peace and promote human rights, they have emboldened Israel to perpetuate brutalities coronating genocide in Gaza. With that, the next section discusses the ensuing wars and confusion in the global spheres as consequences of the microwave foreign policy of the western powers.
Endured Wars and Conflicts – Implications of Microwave Foreign Policy
The absence of a well-thought-out foreign policies by the west-led by the US, UK and EU – to interact and relate amiably and humanely with all states in the international community has given rise to the series of conflicts clouding the middle-east, eastern Europe, Africa and south China. The distorted statements, which characterised the Biden era has seeped into the reign of Trump, who bragged to end the wars in two days upon resumption of office as president. However, the opposite is the case. Some honest academics, open-minded diplomats and politicians- past and present within the international community- have offered intelligent, substantive and creative solutions to addressing the crisis effectively and peacefully. Some examples can be cited of the Russia-Ukraine, Israel- Gaza, Sudan, US-Venezuela, China- South Sea tensions, which have the finger- prints of the US, UK, EU and their allies, instigating wars rather than offering measures to stem the conflicts. This is a scare on the conscience of the international community, especially the big five and other powerful states, to allow Israel to continue destroying the Gazans and their socioeconomic livelihoods without sanctioning it to stop the carnage. Failure to sanction Israel or forcing it to respect the judgments of international law, resolutions of the UN and orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to promote peace embolden other strong states to inflict misery and genocide on weaker states as transpiring in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other flash points in the world.
Final Word
Adopting a microwave foreign policy strategy, which is framed in the form of press statements, genders confusion without stability and peace in the troubled zones of the world as well as strengthen the hands of the stronger countries to threaten/attack weaker states at will. The flagrant killing of Gazans, Ukrainians, Russians, Sudanese and other peoples without regard to human rights principles, international humanitarian law and judgments of the ICJ compromise the tenets of the international community by exposing smaller countries to bullying and suppression. The confusion and endemic wars engulfing the world, especially Gaza and Ukraine, suffering severest hardships are attributable to the fickle foreign policies by the major powers. Human rights and dignity of every person or state should not be sacrificed at the expense of expedient geopolitical interests of the US and other major powers. The crisis enveloping the international community currently with all the flash points around the globe are largely the orchestration by the US, ably aided by the UK and EU.
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