UK ambassador discusses Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan in Nashville: 'This was a heinous attack'

Whether working together to "dent the image of Russia around the world" amid the war in Ukraine, or collaborating to build a nuclear-propelled submarine to assert international water rights in the South China Sea, the United States remains in tight partnership with one of its oldest and closest allies: the United Kingdom.

British Ambassador to the U.S. Dame Karen Pierce touched on many of the world's conflicts and zones of tension during a fireside chat with former U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus at Vanderbilt University on Monday evening.

Here are three takeaways from their conversation.

How can Britain and the U.S. help avert a regional war as conflict continues between Hamas and Israel?

Since Hamas’ unprecedented attack that left hundreds of Israeli civilians, including scores of children, dead, Britain has worked alongside the U.S. to help prevent the conflict from becoming a regional war.

Hamas is holding British civilians hostage as well as Americans. Britain has deployed the Royal Navy to support the U.S.S. Gerald Ford aircraft carrier positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and provided humanitarian supplies to civilians in Gaza.

“Israel has a right to self defense. This was a heinous attack,” Pierce said. “It is the worst killing of Jews since the holocaust en masse. Somehow a way has to be found that takes that into account without causing more deaths throughout Gaza.”

Looking to the future, Pierce said that a two-state solution — one in which both a State of Israel and State of Palestine exist — must be a central goal.

“We are going to have to try, eventually, and coax both sides back to negotiating,” she said.

But there’s a real question on one side of who Israel will be negotiating with.

“I think there is a very interesting question as to who represents the Palestinian people in Gaza? We have the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Will Hamas come back to be the leaders of Gaza? Will the Palestinian Authority go in? Some people are even talking about a temporary protectorate.”

The end goal, Pierce said, is for both the Israeli and Palestinian people to feel — and be — secure in their own state.

“Half the embassy back in D.C. is working on one or other aspect of this problem, so we keep in very close touch with the Israelis as well as with the Arab neighbors,” she said.

What is at stake for Europeans as the U.S. considers whether to send more aid to Ukraine?

Once a new U.S. House Speaker is elected, Congress will consider whether to continue sending aid to support Ukraine in the country’s fight to reclaim territory occupied by the Russian military. U.S. President Joe Biden last week proposed a $105 billion foreign aid package to Congress, that includes $61 billion for Ukraine, along with aid for Israel and more funding for border security. Multiple members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation have indicated they would support diverting Ukraine aid to Israel.

In Britain’s perspective, Pierce said, continuing to support Ukraine in its justified fight against Russian aggression is crucial to the stability of Europe. She calls Russian action in Ukraine is “a deliberate flouting of international law.”

“If Russia wins, then the rest of Europe will be at risk. Some countries like Romania, Moldova, the Balkans will be particularly vulnerable to Russia,” Pierce said. “If Russia has a victory, the Chinese will see that as, not exactly as a green light, but as an incentive to go for Taiwan. And then America really will have to defend its interests.”

Pierce said allies should continue to give Ukraine weapons that enable them to meet situations on the ground. Ukrainians have used the British long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles effectively in Crimea, forcing Russians to move their fleet from the west to the east. That, she said, has allowed ships to transport grain from the Black Sea to international markets, including Africa.

“The vast majority of people in the U.K. are bipartisan and they’re right behind Ukraine, possibly because they see echoes in it of what Hitler did in the run up to the Second World War,” Pierce said.

Aiding Ukraine is not about attacking Moscow, but helping Ukrainians get back more of their lost territory. At some point, Pierce said she foresees a peace process, but that may be a while off.

“I think it’s everyone’s assessment at the moment that President Putin would not be negotiating seriously if he came to the table at all,” she said.

Meantime, there are some reputational wins.

“President Putin set out to recreate the Russian empire. He’s not going to be able to do that. That in itself is a win,” Pierce said. “The Russian army has been shown to be not as capable as people thought. Their defense equipment has been shown to be pretty ragged. That, again, is a win — denting the image of Russia around the world.”

“Little by little, I think what we’re really doing is denying a Russian victory,” she said.

How can western allies ease tensions between China and Taiwan?

Outcome of the conflict in Ukraine will have implications for Taiwan, Pierce said, and thus, the British government is engaged in strategies in deterrence and communication to avoid increased tension on the Taiwan strait.

In recent years, the Chinese military has built up its forces near Taiwan, while Taiwan has necessarily increased defense capabilities.

“If you look at Chinese activity in the area, it’s all about trying to assert dominance over a larger stretch of territorial water than is recognized by international law," she said. "It's also about trying to stop freedom of navigation."

Britain’s goal, like that of the United States, is for neither side to escalate or initiate a wider crisis. Britain has sought to protect international waters by freely sailing ships through portions of the sea over which the Chinese have asserted control. Britain is also urging the Chinese to allow the setup of a hotline, similar to an exchange done with the Soviet Union, to avoid miscommunications.

“This isn’t a cold war, but that need is still there,” she said. “We’re having a huge difficulty convincing the Chinese that it’s in their interests as well, but we’re going to go on trying.”

Both the British and U.S. militaries are working with Australia in the AUKUS partnership to build nuclear-propelled submarine, which Pierce describes as "groundbreaking from a deterrent point of view."

Like the United States, Britain is “not supporting Taiwan to be an independent nation."

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X and Threads at @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Israel-Hamas war: UK ambassador addresses conflict in Nashville chat