THE PRINCIPLE OF "ETHICS" IN BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY AND THE KOSOVO CRISIS OF 1999

Abstract

At the turn of the XX-XXI centuries a new military conflict occurred in the Balkans. This conflict could turn into a big war. Contradictions between Yugoslavia and Albanians, who constituted the majority of population in Kosovo led to NATO interference in the conflict. During this conflict Great Britain played the main role among NATO countries. British Government which was ruled by Tony Blair and the British Prime-Minister himself strongly supported and promoted not only using the air forces to bomb Yugoslavia, but also tried to convince their partners to conduct a ground military operation against Yugoslavia aimed to make President of Yugoslavia Milosevic leave his position. Britain also wanted Kosovo to become independent. NATO proclaimed prevention of humanitarian disaster in the region as the main reason to conduct this military operation. Although air attacks on towns and civilians did not correspond with the ethical principle in the foreign policy which was named by British government as the leading principle of Britain’s behavior in international relationships, it did not prevent British government and media from constant propaganda of military actions against Yugoslavia. At first, NATO’s military operation led to the increase in the amount of refugees in the region, but after the operation had stopped, Kosovo got a wider autonomy form the central Yugoslavian government. And some time later this part of Serbia gained independence. Great Britain was one of the first countries which recognized this independence.