Sir John Major has expressed concerns about the state of democracy, emphasizing that the United States is retreating from its prominent global position.
The ex-prime minister informed the BBC that President Donald Trump’s policy of American “isolation” is fostering a power vacuum, which could encourage nations such as Russia and China to act more aggressively.
Sir John, who held the PM position from 1990 to 1997, lamented that the progress achieved since the dissolution of the Soviet Union is currently being undone, foreseeing that “there’s no doubt” Russia will venture into further invasions soon.
He remarked that the rise of “ugly nationalism” in parallel is contributing to a “very unsettled time”.
These statements emerge as European leaders gear up for an emergency summit on Monday regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
Delegations from the US and Russia are scheduled to commence peace discussions in the coming days, despite worries that European nations, including Ukraine, are being sidelined.
Sir John also countered US Vice-President JD Vance’s recent critiques of Europe’s stance on free speech, suggesting that such remarks would be better aimed at the governments in Moscow or Beijing.
He shared on BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “It’s quite bizarre to criticize Europe on free speech and democracy while cozying up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.
“In Mr. Putin’s Russia, dissenting voices often disappear, meet untimely deaths, flee the country, or – in statistically improbable circumstances – fall from great heights in Moscow.”
Sir John asserted that the world is evolving, and “may not be transforming in a manner favorable to the West”.
He elaborated: “Many advancements we made in recent decades, particularly post-Soviet Union, are now being reversed, as evidenced by a more aggressive Russia in Ukraine.
“If they were to prevail in Ukraine, there’s no doubt they would extend their ambitions elsewhere shortly after.
“I firmly believe that democracy has been experiencing a gradual decline over the past 18 years.
“We are witnessing a rise in repugnant nationalism, primarily from the intolerant right… This is a challenging period indeed.”
The former Conservative leader, who navigated a turbulent economic period for the UK, expressed understanding of the current Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ challenges, while suggesting that the global landscape may necessitate increased defense funding.
“It’s very easy to comment from outside the government, ‘I’d take this action and allocate this budget’.
“Instead, I would advocate that we must significantly boost our defense spending as a top priority once it is feasible to do so.”
Earlier, on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds noted that both the UK and Europe need to meet US calls for enhanced contributions towards their “collective defense” amid increasing threats.
He stated the government plans to outline a strategy to raise defense expenditure from 2.3% to 2.5% of the nation’s economic output, although a specific timeline was not provided.
Reynolds also minimized the perceived discord between the US and its allies regarding the resolution of the Ukraine crisis, affirming that there remains “a significant amount of common ground”.
Sir John has been vocal on multiple issues in recent years, particularly concerning Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, which commenced in 2022.
Soon after the conflict began, he and another former prime minister, Gordon Brown, were among the signatories of a petition advocating for a Nuremberg-style trial for Putin for war crimes in relation to his actions in Ukraine.
