The Labor MP, who announced her departure yesterday after a long career that saw her become Britain’s first female foreign minister under Tony Blair, told Sky News on Sunday: “People were hoping that Russia was increasingly more could enter the mainstream … I am very aware that at any time in the last 10, 20 years, if you talk to people in Eastern Europe or rather if you listened to people in Eastern Europe who had experience of being under Russian rule, they never had this optimistic approach. “They were always worried, suspicious, they were looking over their shoulder. There will be people in the Baltic countries who will not be surprised at all by what is happening in Ukraine.” Dame Margaret added that discussions about NATO countries increasing military aid to Ukraine are difficult because of the risk of escalation of the conflict. “I think it is very difficult to strike a balance,” he said. “The situation in Ukraine is horrible and we must do everything we can to help, but in order to be drawn into a pan-European war, I do not think anyone would be pleased.”
