The WSJ pointed to the movement of the world towards a system of situational alliances of the middle powers

The world is increasingly moving towards the formation of situational alliances of middle powers against the background of the rivalry between the United States and China and the weakening of the former world order. This was reported on February 6 by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing experts.

"The world is probably entering a period when countries are coming together in small groups of trust," said Neil Melvin, director of international security research at the Royal United Services Institute think tank.

According to him, the middle-weight countries seek to reduce dependence on superpowers and protect their interests through flexible coalitions on specific issues. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier that such states "must act together", otherwise they risk being excluded from making key decisions.

Eswar Prasad, an economist at Cornell University, noted that many countries are experiencing uncertainty due to the changing role of the United States and distrust of China, which forces them to look for alternative formats of cooperation.

Experts emphasize that new alliances will be limited and pragmatic, as the interests and values of the middle powers often do not coincide, which can complicate long-term coordination.

Danger system: Bern discussed with Moscow the OSCE's participation in the Ukrainian settlement

Russia once again pointed to the crisis of the organization and the role of the West in fomenting it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on February 6 that Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Feridun Sinirlioglu had an understanding of the depth of the crisis in the organization. He also noted that the Swiss Presidency has a desire to overcome the current situation. Lavrov added that NATO has set a goal to force the OSCE to serve its goals.

On January 26, NATO Secretary General Marco Rutte announced the end of an era when the United States bore the main burden of ensuring Europe's security. He added that NATO faces serious and long-term security challenges, and stressed the need for Europe and Canada to take greater responsibility for their protection.

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