MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. France and other Western states have backed a wave of recognition of Palestine at the UN General Assembly; Russia may continue adhering to New START nuclear limits for one year after the treaty lapsing in 2026; and Moscow and Washington are preparing a third round of talks to reduce bilateral tensions. These stories topped Tuesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
On September 22, France became another nation in the latest wave to join the recognition of the independent State of Palestine on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, with the announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron. According to Ofer Bronstein, special adviser to the French leader on Middle Eastern affairs, such recognition is expected to spark a "small diplomatic tsunami," prompting more states to acknowledge Palestine. Experts interviewed by Vedomosti believe that Western recognition of Palestine is mainly symbolic, but could paradoxically obstruct the creation of a viable Palestinian state while pushing Israel to expand settlements rather than engage in peace negotiations.
According to Politico, Macron’s goal is indeed to motivate other Western states to grant recognition. The French move is based on Macron’s personal stance, head of the Section for Regional Issues and Conflicts in the Department of European Political Studies at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations Pavel Timofeev told Vedomosti.
