Concern in Britain over diminished role on world stage

Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform, a think tank in London, told AFP that there had been a "shrinking of ambition".

"We have become much more averse to getting involved," he said, adding that the current government was "obsessed with Europe as a negative". In recent international diplomacy on Ukraine "it`s been really extraordinary to see this diplomatic process led by France and Germany", he said...

..."The cuts in defence spending reflect the loss of ambition," Bond said, adding that Britain could fall below the defence spending target for NATO members of two percent of gross domestic product (GDP).