Following the resignation of UK Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch, MLI Research Advisory Board member Elliot Tepper joined CTV News to make sense of this critical event in US-UK relations.
For Tepper, it is important to determine who did the leaking. A first theory points to the Russians, proven to have interfered in both the Brexit referendum and the US 2016 election. This is the kind of meddling that would be logical for them, because “having a split between America and the UK really suits their interest,” says Tepper. The second theory is that hard-core Brexiters leaked the emails, fearing that Darroch would not be strong enough facing the upcoming negotiations in October.
This incident could have long-term effects in US-UK relations, Tepper explains. He argues that the Trump Administration has already shown little value for traditional relationships, and in the event that President Trump wins a second term, the implications of Darroch’s comments could carry forward.
The incident also reflects critical opinions that are present on both embassies, Tepper says.
“We have two dysfunctional democracies, the two greatest democracies on Earth, that undoubtedly have ambassadors back and forth saying that the other side just doesn’t work.”
