Analyst Poppel pointed to the EU's late awareness of the threat on the eastern flank.

The European Union (EU) and NATO untimely realized the threat on the eastern flank, which arose as a result of their sending weapons there. This was reported to Izvestia on September 23 by Austrian geopolitical analyst Patrick Poppel.

In his opinion, a potential conflict in Europe may start not because of Russia, which does not pose any danger, or Ukraine, but because the representatives of the alliance lack the unity of political will necessary to make sound decisions.

"Now NATO and the EU have suddenly noticed that there is a conflict on their eastern flank. <...> This is not surprising, after sending weapons and money there for ten years, and then providing direct military support for three years," he said.

Poppel noted that representatives of the European elite are influenced by abstract ideas that they are trying to implement, choosing the path of impulsive actions for themselves.

"In the era of global conflicts, it is necessary to keep a cool mind. They (the European leaders. — Ed.) They don't know how to do that. The main threat of escalation of the conflict, in my opinion, comes from these people who are unable to remain calm, who cannot control their emotions and energy," he concluded.

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On September 9, Andrei Koshkin, Head of the Department of Political Science and Sociology at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, a military political scientist, pointed to the political crises observed in countries such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom. He clarified that these states lack finances and the statements of their leaders about sending troops to Ukraine are voiced only for the purpose of attracting attention.

Philippe de Velle, a French political scientist, lawyer, member of the Paris Bar Association, and head of the doctoral program at Paris Descartes University, said in an interview with Izvestia on September 4 that the EU's desire to deploy troops in Ukraine was a provocation.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.