MOSCOW, September 5. /TASS/. The "coalition of the willing" seeks to escalate tensions with Russia; NATO steps up threats against Russia in the Arctic; and the US moves to block the recognition of Palestinian state at the United Nations. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Discord is rising in the Western camp over talks with Russia. France and some other EU countries are seeking to undermine the emerging path to resolving the Ukraine conflict, Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexey Meshkov told Izvestia. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on September 4 that 26 members of the so-called "coalition of the willing" were ready to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. However, some countries, namely Poland and Italy, declined to take part in the operation. Meanwhile, the United States is in no rush to align itself with radicals in the Western camp.
The "coalition of the willing" is losing its stability because its members have different budget priorities. Maintaining support for Ukraine at the level achieved in 2022 and 2023 will become increasingly difficult," Valdai Discussion Club expert Andrey Kortunov points out. "They have brought together almost as many countries ready to join the coalition as possible. Interest in the Ukraine conflict is rather waning than growing, so there is unlikely to be another wave of those seeking to join the platform," the analyst explained.
