world political and economic power. "With growing power, it will not allow limitations that are launched by Western countries any longer," Xing said, adding that Russia will pay much more attention to its own interests and its image in the world.

Russia now has conflicts with European countries mainly over two issues-energy and "color revolutions," Xing said.

As energy prices keep rising throughout the world, Russia, which possesses abundant oil and natural gas reserves, has been re-powered. It not only uses its energy supplies as a political weapon, but also as a new way to collect money. It has tried to maximize interests from its energy industry in two ways: first, by raising prices for the oil and natural gas that it transfers to European countries; and second, by demanding that big Russian energy companies participate in Europe's whole crude oil sale system, which means that Moscow wants to receive payments from each part of the supply chain instead of only at the original source.

Russia also believed that Britain and the United States were jointly squeezing its strategic space, due to the "color revolutions" in Ukraine and Georgia, Xing said. "Color revolutions" took place in countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Central Asia, which were traditionally under Russian influence. Those movements were mostly sponsored by the United States.

Experts, however, also believe that the tension between Britain and Russia will come under control, due to their closer economic relationship. Britain now is the biggest investor in Russia. During the first three months of 2007, Russia received a total investment of $3.1 billion from Britain, according to an article in London's The Times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a damage-control announcement on July 21, describing the diplomatic fight as a "mini-crisis" and predicted that the two countries would soon recover from the row.

"I think that Russian-British relations will develop normally," Putin said in a public statement on the crisis. "On both the Russian side and the British side, we are interested in the development of these relations."

According to a report in the British daily newspaper The Guardian, Russia's decision to limit the expulsions of British diplomats in Moscow to only four when it could have sent home as many as 80, indicated that it wanted to avoid a lengthy and harmful confrontation. Instead, Russia hopes that it can quietly rebuild its relationship with Britain in the autumn once the Lugovoi affair has died down, according to the report.

Keeping a reachable distance America

Britain and the United States kept extremely close ties during Blair's term, but it still remains to be seen whether Brown will maintain this relationship, which brought Britain both benefits and troubles. When Brown made his first official visit as prime minister to the United States in late July, he met with Bush at Camp David to discuss the two countries' mutual interests and concerns. They talked about hot issues in the world, including terror threats, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear crisis and the conflicts in Darfur, Sudan.

Due to their common interests, the two countries will not head in opposite directions, but Brown will use a different approach in his diplomatic relations with the United States, Xing said.

Blair has kept a close personal relationship with Bush. His departure after 10 years at his post was believed to be one reason for increasing public opposition to his support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

"Brown is clear that some of Blair's policy about America was not supported by the people, and some even brought troubles to Britain. He will keep some distance from the Bush administration on certain issues, while sharing common interests," Xing said, stressing that Brown would at least make their alliance look as close as before.

"The United Kingdom and the United States work in a partnership that I believe will strengthen in the years to come," Brown said at a joint press conference with Bush at the U.S. presidential retreat.

Britain has approximately 5,500 troops in south Iraq, according to Xinhua News Agency. British Defense Secretary Des Browne said in early July that Britain would reduce its troops in Iraq to 5,000 within weeks and then consider how to withdraw the remaining contingent. Whether or not Britain will pull out from Iraq, and when, are now considered a signal of future relations between London and Washington.

At the joint press conference with Bush, Brown said he shared the U.S.'s view that there are "duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep" in Iraq, adding that "our aim, like the United States is, step-by-step, to move control to the Iraqi authorities."

Britain's pullout from Iraq would create inevitable differences between Britain and the Untied States, Xing said. "Although Britain did not decide when to withdraw for the moment in consideration of U.S. feelings, it will make the final choice sooner or later," he said.

Brown said at the press conference with Bush that the British Government soon would decide on its troop levels in Iraq, but he assured that that decision would be based "on the military advice of our commanders on the ground."

The Guardian report pointed out that Brown would not place much emphasis on relations with Bush himself, since the latter has less than a year and a half left in his final presidential term, and that Brown would pay more attention to the next U.S. president.