Termination of Diplomatic Relations

[Felix Nulkia]

The LKE hereby announces termination of the Treaty of Argyll with United Kingdom based on the combination of two grounds:

Firstly, on 27 March, I contacted United Kingdom to request that they deny any citizenship application from Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand. This followed Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand's seizure of Grand Abbeyverne Republic, a territory of the LKE Empire and a region which she had previously held as an LKE military officer, and Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand moving a nation into UK. UK denied my request. A couple of hours after the LKE's approach to UK, Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand lodged an application for UK citizenship, noting on her application that she had been "declared an enemy of the state in LKE for seizing colonies". This application was granted half an hour later. Citizenship was not just extended by UK to Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand, but done so with great haste in the period of the immediate aftermath of the seizure of an LKE territory and after we requested otherwise.

From Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand's subsequent statements, the LKE has validated our concern (initially based on the timing of her citizenship application, directly after our request) that she gained knowledge from within UK's government that the LKE requested that any application from her be denied. This constitutes a breach of Article 5, Section 1 of the Treaty of Argyll between the LKE and UK, whereby "A Signatory may not pass on any information that concerns the military or security of the other Signatory to any party, unless the Signatory that the information concerns gives its consent." UK is in breach of this treaty obligation.

Secondly, on 2 April, I granted a citizenship application submitted by Hon. Mary Spencer (also known as Elizabeth Somerset). I took her application to be in good faith, on the assumption that she wished to contribute productively. On 15 April, using the puppet nation of Moghedien (which had no prior posts on the NS forums and which they did not identify as them in the signature or anywhere else), Hon. Mary Spencer posted a copy of my speech from part of the LKE forums closed to unmasked users, announcing planned constitutional reforms, in the NationStates Gameplay forum, under the heading "Felix Wants To Diminish Democracy" and as part of a thread entitled "Why I Left the LKE and Why You Should Condemn Them". In light of this hostile action, Hon. Mary Spencer was banished from the LKE on 17 April. Hon. Mary Spencer is today the Deputy Prime Minister of UK.

In view of the above two grounds taken together, the LKE no longer has any trust in UK as an ally. The LKE invokes Article 12 of the Treaty of Argyll. This allows either party to terminate diplomatic relations with the other and nullify the treaty and all agreements therein. The LKE ends our treaty and all diplomatic relations with UK.


Felix Nulkia, Emperor of The Land of Kings and Emperors

[Akillian Talleyrand]

I am probably the NSUKer with the greatest ties to the LKE. It was my first region when I joined NS in 2013 and I continued actively serving until 2020, including roles such as Prime Minister, Crown Prince and head of the Judiciary. If it was not for my lack of availability for the role, I would have served as Emperor of the LKE at one point.

Within NSUK, I have tried to develop relations between both regions for mutual benefit. We have enjoyed good relations previously in cultural and military affairs at various points.

Today’s statement is a sad day. But quite simply, NSUK cannot and should not be pressured into making decisions on matters such of granting citizenship, especially when our citizenship laws do not permit it. If the LKE cannot accept NSUK refusing to bend to its will, so be it. The end of a relationship which has on more than one occasion sought to diminish NSUK in the face of our own independence and resolve is not of much consequence for us. But be clear, it is the LKE leadership that has caused that.

After experiencing the tensions of dual citizenship myself, I am not surprised by today’s statement. Regardless of the end of this relationship, NSUK will continue to prosper activity wise and with meaningful foreign relationships.

[Owen Stewart]

While it is unfortunate that it has come to this, no region can nor should attempt to force us to reject the citizenship of someone because of IC disagreements, and therefore, I support all action taken by our Government.

On the issue of "great haste" this was just a competent and quick admin team that want to accept all citizenship applications as quickly as possible so people aren't just hanging around, I dont see how you can complain about our admins doing their work in a timely manner, especially if they are online when the application is posted.

[HM King George IX]

I am a big proponent of the United Kingdom having an outward looking cooperative mindset with international policy. But this cannot come at a cost of our sovereignty nor our values.

NSUK should be open to every single person in NationStates. A home to any person that wants to call this home and contribute to our community. It is not our job to judge and exclude people based on their history and relations in other regions. Nor should we judge anyone based on the word of a third party. Our opinions should be informed instead on our dealings with that person and our own experiences. No region should try to pressure us to see things any differently. NSUK is a kind and welcoming community to all.

As for the second point, it seems to me that all that’s happened their is that someone has exercised innocent free speech with maybe a dash of whistleblowing and that is no crime here in this region. If anything I think we as a society embrace it. No citizen should ever be punished for exercising free speech, unless it falls under crimes against the person. Especially not for exercising it against a Government or other organisation that holds power over others.

It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but if this is the reaction of a governing body after its citizens disagree with it and decide to seek a better life elsewhere, then I think we are just as happy to end this agreement as the other party to it is.

[DarchAngel]

1. From my experience, NSUK always grants citizenship in a rather quick fashion, mine was granted in 2 minutes.


2. Do you have any proof of your accusation of a breach? Or just more LKE posturing.

3. If you can't handle your leadership being questioned or any speech you made being made fully public, you're not fit to lead anything.

[Rose Weisberg-Talleyrand]

Wow Felix, I'm hurt, I'm not even mentioned?

In all seriousness tho, my first real region in NS was LKE, and I'm saddened to see them hound us for leaving, even if it was at the end of an argument with you. I really wish that you could let this end, as so many of us already have, and just let us continue on with our NS life. I worked hard for LKE, and I even worked hard to come back after getting roped into a different splintering on accident. It's a shame to see the LKE where it is now, compared to this time last year.

[Cameron M. Romefeller]

This is a classical attempt to shame and bully a region into following the will of the hard and fast foreign relations of the Imperialist regions of NS. As I've said elsewhere, thousands of times before, your foreign relation rejection barely hinders the region. At best, it is a protest, and at worst it is a tantrum. 

[Vig Somerset]

🧐

I will freely admit that I am not well versed in the history of the relationship between NSUK and LKE, but I join the rest of my colleagues in reaffirming our commitment to the sovereignty of this great region and standing with our friends and neighbors Astrid, Rose, and Josi.

I also confess myself somewhat glad that we will no longer be maintaining relations with a region that appears to be backsliding into a morass of authoritarianism, despotism, and oligarchy. I am confident that our ties with other regions that share our values of respect for democracy and respect for constitutional limitations on the power of the government will continue to flourish well into the future.

[Alistair Brandon]

Tommen as a pfp is a perfect representation of your judgement as a leader. Got a Cersei whispering in your ears?

And the family he represents is a perfect representation of your disrespect for the legal sovereignty of your neighbors.

Case in point, you're no better than a Lannister. LKE is starting to act like King's Landing from Season 5. Shame, shame, shame.

[Sir Aaron Reynolds-Bauheim]

*simply stares and throws a tomato at the muppet*

[Alexis-Ka Sherwood]

The original statement was posted in 10 Downing Street and is copied here.

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Official Response to the Revocation of the Treaty of Argyll
Statement 68-004
23.04.2022 - Day 07

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Citizens of the Realm and Representatives of the Land of Kings and Emperors,

We have seen the news of the revocation of the Treaty of Argyll by the Land of Kings and Emperors. The Government is saddened that this step has become necessary in the eyes of LKE's leadership.

The statement regarding the revocation points first to our decision to grant citizenship to Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand on 27 March 2022. While I was not Prime Minister at the time of this decision, I can inform the representatives of the LKE that UK law does not permit such random discretion in citizenship applications. Applicants may be denied if they pose a threat to the United Kingdom community or if they are likely to engage in criminal conduct, but that was not the case here. Importantly, applicants may also be denied if they have a current or prior affiliation in NationStates that is precluded under a treaty obligation. There was no such preclusion in the Treaty of Argyll, therefore this basis cannot legitimately be used. Absent any reason to deny citizenship, it was approved under our law.

Onto the affairs regarding Mary Spencer alias Elizabeth Somerset, now Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Under no circumstances does the Treaty of Argyll (or, for that matter, any other of our treaties, to my knowledge) require us to prejudice our selection of government officials based on the actions undertaken within another region. Ms. Somerset has, over an extended, proven herself a capable member of the United Kingdom community and is a valuable addition to this government. The appointment of Deputy Prime Minister was extended to her before I had any knowledge of this incident.

While such an individual may not be looked on favourably by the Land of Kings and Emperors, the United Kingdom was - as always - ready to cooperate with the Land of Kings and Emperors were mutually beneficial. We were ready to meet our treaty obligations just as we have done so in the past. Indeed, we have always benefited mutually from pursuits together in cultural and military affairs. However, the Government of the United Kingdom has a duty to our own legal sovereignty and cannot be expected to entertain any and all requests from another region simply due to being treaty allies, especially when it is contrary to our law or relates to the selection of members of our Cabinet. And quite simply, responding to the continued strife that occurs in the Land of Kings and Emperors due to their system of Government, is not an expectation that should fall on the United Kingdom, as it is not material to the cooperation between the regions in the areas mentioned.

I am saddened by the necessity of this action, but at the same time find that I cannot shy away from - nor will I hesitate in - my duty to speak in defence of the Realm and the actions taken thereof. The United Kingdom has long maintained a foreign policy in the independent sphere and only to an extent that suits our foreign policy goals. We will continue to pursue this path and look forward to cooperating with our allies and partners.

Thank you.

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Yours,
ALEXIS-KA NITOCRIS MAREN SHERWOOD
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

[Deleted]

You know, I had told myself that I was going to keep out of this thread. However, I felt that there needed to be a response against what LKE and their Emperor believes to be truth. There seems to be some assumption that I went to LKE to be underhanded or to harm it. That was not my purpose there at all. If His Supreme Majesty remembers, I used to be a Citizen of LKE for a long while, at one point serving as a Member of the Estates Common and as Interior Minister. So, rejoining LKE when they had experienced some hardship should not be a concept hard to understand. I had applied my application as Elizabeth Somerset and shortly after changed my name to Mary Spencer, because I have a fondness for the Duke of Marlborough. The profile picture I had there was the exact same that I had in NSUK and EoGB at the time, as well as on the Discord. My Discord handle was Josi#9711, and my forum username was also Josi. These are all indications that I did not care to hide my identity. I have been known but a multitude of names, nations, aliases, and identities in NationStates. I tried my best to put as many as I remembered in my application, if I remember correctly. If I had really wanted to be a sleeper agent in LKE, I would have done so many different things, but that was not my intention. I came back to help LKE, despite those close to me advising me not to. 

I felt that Valfor's words, in his NSGP thread, had a ring of truth. From the very start in LKE, I made my intentions clear that I intended to help. I posted calling for new elections, I helped found a new political party, proposed a reorganization of the Constitution, and ran for the Estates Common. I had made it clear to everyone in my party that I wanted to help reform LKE so that it would have a fighting chance. It is my strong belief that just because something is tradition does not make it worthy. And that was the modus operandi of my work there. It was not too long after that that I had a conversation with Nulkia about what I would like to see changed. Not two (2) hours later, I was declared an Enemy of the State and banned from LKE. 

Yes, I have gone by Moghedien and still do. She is one of my favorite characters in The Wheel of Time. And while she was an antagonist in that book series, I was not in concern to LKE. I relate to Moghedien because she is always afraid. Loathe I am to admit it, I am always afraid, I always worry. I cannot help it and that is why I like Moghedien, I relate to her.

You might see my various names, avatars, aliases, and identities as some sort of proof that I was a spy. That's not true. The names, the faces, they are a symptom of a transgender woman trying to find her way. I change my names and faces somewhat frequently because, most of the time, they do not always feel right. In the sense that my dysphoria is weird. It pains me to that I do not look like the people I used in NationStates and in my online presence. 

I do not speak as Deputy Prime Minister or a Lady of Parliament. I speak as a private citizen. Felix Nulkia you have burned a bridge and isn't the first one you have burned since you have acceded the Throne. It is truly impressive. You may call yourself Emperor, you may clothe yourself in styles and titles, and demand that your right is unquestionable, but those are not what makes an Emperor, a Sovereign, a King. It is how you hold yourself, how you treat others, how you balance what is best for the Realm, is what makes a Crown worth bearing.

[Alexis-Ka Sherwood]

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Official Statement on the Ongoing LKE Affair
Statement 68-005
25.04.2022 - Day 09

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Citizens of the United Kingdom and of the Land of Kings and Emperors, and any other persons who may read this statement,

We find ourselves in the middle of a diplomatic disintegration, one that from the view of the UK government is entirely a failing of the LKE.

The LKE attacks us for refusing to deny citizenship to Astrid Weisberg-Talleyrand. I made clear in my initial statement on this matter that the citizenship laws of the UK do not permit such an at-whim action. Unless a person is a threat to our community or is likely to perform criminal acts within the UK, our laws mandate that their citizenship must be accepted. All denials of citizenship are subject to review by the Crown Court, providing additional insurance against such at-whim actions.

We do not empower our Government or any of our officials to deny citizenship to anyone because of a dispute they have within another region, even at the request of a foreign government. Such processes may be present within the LKE, but the blatant disrespect shown by the LKE for the UK and its body of law is on full display thanks to this tantrum due to the government not yielding to the LKE’s pressure campaign. While I was not Prime Minister at the time, I am deeply proud of the previous Government and the regional administration team for maintaining their resolve to process citizenship applications in accordance with UK law, not in accordance with the whims of a disgruntled foreign realm.

I also reject categorically the notion that the UK has a duty to exclude persons that any region has banned from serving in positions within His Majesty’s Government. Such a demand shows a blatant disrespect for the integrity of His Majesty’s Government that LKE suggests such a thing. The person the LKE takes issue with is a former Prime Minister of this realm and a trusted member of our community, and it is my decision alone to appoint them to His Majesty’s Government in any capacity. This decision was taken based upon domestic considerations, once again not in accordance with the whims of a disgruntled foreign realm.

The regional leadership of the LKE may have enquired to this government regarding the situation, and I would have made assurances that there was no change to the policy of relations between the UK and the LKE. His Majesty’s Government would have communicated any such change to the government of the LKE, but as no such change was made, suggestions of such a change are entirely the conjecture and speculations of the LKE.

To be quite candid, the expectations held of the LKE by the UK in this regard show that the LKE did not regard its relationship with the UK as a true partnership, but as a relationship between a dominant partner and their junior, with His Majesty’s Government meant to stand by and simply do whatever bidding is requested. I believe that this has been the perception for a significant period of time, as the LKE has focused on other regions more involved in the gameplay elements of NationStates.

We have not participated in joint events with the LKE for an extended period of time, and most, if not all, of the previous cultural events were instigated by the leadership of the UK. Foreign treaties are created with the intention of building deeper relations, yet the LKE has shown almost no interest in being a partner of the UK for an extended period. Despite this, the LKE still thinks it has the clout to request that the UK extrajudicially deny citizenship to a person, and then further thinks it has the right to pressure the UK about its selected government officials. These developments prove most unsatisfactory.

It is the prerogative of the LKE, of course, to choose the relations they wish to hold, but the treatment of the UK by the LKE over the recent weeks has been entirely self-serving. We will not accept that, nor will we be pressured by a realm that does not have respect for the UK.

Further, the UK does not have, nor does it seek, a large role in gameplay or foreign affairs, but allow me to remind people the differences between our realms:

The Land of Kings and Emperors, as of the drafting of this statement, has 257 nations. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has 701.

The delegate of the Land of Kings and Emperors currently holds 39 endorsements. The delegate of the United Kingdom, however, holds more than 100.

Both regions moved from their TapaTalk forums to new forums at around the same time, and yet the LKE has managed only 19,000 posts in the period since. The UK, on the other hand, has over 107,000 posts on its forum.

Rather than the LKE recognizing the value of the UK and the meaningful relationship that could have been had, the United Kingdom instead finds itself in a position where the LKE has attempted to shame us and use our region for their own ends.

Finally, I categorically deny the perception the LKE attempts to create that the UK is an unreliable partner. Our role as a signatory of the Treaty of Argyll was to live up to the military, cultural, and diplomatic provision we agreed to. The UK made repeated and continuing endeavours to do this. The Treaty, however, did not require us to act on behalf of the LKE by denying citizenship to individuals they dislike. That this is expected of an ally, particularly one whom the LKE have made almost no effort to have any relation with, is the root of the problem.

The UK does not cause these problems for its allies - in fact, the LKE has been the only one of the UK’s allies to cause these kinds of problems. No other region we have relations with has such remarkable episodes where its government and Crown have disputes of this magnitude, and then attempts to drag us into the disputes. That the LKE is prompted into engaging with the United Kingdom only to demand that we ban individuals from entering our region, and to express their contempt for our selection of governing individuals, speaks volumes to the extent that the LKE has valued the relationship.

Furthermore, NO ATTEMPT WHATSOEVER was made on the part of the LKE to resolve these issues and attempt reconciliation prior to the revocation of the Treaty of Argyll. No contact was made with my government or the Mikaelson Administration between the initial contact on 27 March 2022 and the public revocation of the Treaty of Argyll two days ago. This is the single largest indication of an unreliable partner in a diplomatic relationship.

The United Kingdom does not and will not behave in a manner so abhorrent to diplomatic relations as to completely fail to make any attempt at resolution before publicly attacking a realm and dissolving a treaty. I lay the fault for the dissolution of this relationship in such acrimonious circumstances wholly at the feet of the LKE, and make it clear in no uncertain terms that the United Kingdom will not tolerate being treated in such a manner by any foreign realm.

Thank you.

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Yours,
ALEXIS-KA NITOCRIS MAREN SHERWOOD
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom