- Статьи
- World
- The conflict is interesting: the "coalition of the willing" escalates the confrontation with Russia
The conflict is interesting: the "coalition of the willing" escalates the confrontation with Russia
There is a growing rift in the Western camp regarding negotiations with Russia. France and other EU countries are seeking to undermine the emerging path to a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov told Izvestia. On September 4, Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 states of the "coalition of the willing" agreed to send military personnel to Ukraine in the event of a truce. However, a number of large countries, such as Poland and Italy, refused to participate in this operation. The radical position of Paris is largely due to internal political problems in the country, the European Parliament told Izvestia. At the same time, the United States is being cautious and in no hurry to play along with the radicals from the Western camp, analysts say.
Results of the meeting of the "coalition of the willing" in Paris
France and other European countries are doing their best to undermine progress in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov told Izvestia.
"Paris and other European warmongers are deliberately presenting confrontational, aggressive options in the form of deploying some kind of NATO or EU military contingent, or "backup forces" from the armed forces of the countries of the so—called "coalition of the willing," the diplomat told Izvestia.
A meeting of the "coalition of the willing", which includes more than 30 countries, took place in Paris yesterday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Council Antonio Costa, as well as the President of Finland, the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Poland arrived in the French capital. The rest of the coalition members connected via video link. Vladimir Zelensky and special envoy of the US President Steve Witkoff personally took part in this.
Before the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Zelensky and said that the preparation of security guarantees for Ukraine had been completed. However, their contents, as well as plans for the deployment of troops to Ukraine, have not been made public. According to Macron, 26 states from the "coalition" of those willing have confirmed their readiness to participate in sending a military contingent to Ukraine after the establishment of a truce or a full-fledged settlement.
He added that "several other countries are still considering their position." German officials have expressed doubts about the Bundeswehr's ability to carry out such an operation. At the same time, Italy and Poland have already unequivocally opposed sending troops.
If the decision to send a military contingent is made, the "coalition of the willing" will have three options on the table, Der Spiegel reports. The first is the introduction of a monitoring mission to comply with the peace agreement. However, Kiev is not very enthusiastic about this prospect, as observers will not be able to participate in possible hostilities. The introduction of a full-fledged contingent has recently been recognized as unrealistic, and by the Europeans themselves, because of the excessive costs and the clear position of the Russian Federation, which is against the presence of Western troops in Ukraine.
The most likely scenario is the training of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers by Western instructors on the territory of Ukraine, the media suggest. Currently, the EU and the UK are conducting separate operations to train Ukrainian soldiers on their territory.
The "Coalition of the Willing" is losing its former stability, as countries have different budget priorities. It will be increasingly difficult to support Ukraine at the level of 2022-2023, Andrei Kortunov, an expert at the Valdai Club, told Izvestia.
— They have gathered close to the maximum number of countries that are ready to join the coalition. Interest in the conflict in Ukraine is decreasing rather than growing. Therefore, there will most likely not be a new wave of those who want to join this format," the expert noted.
Washington's involvement in guaranteeing Ukraine's security remains a big question. At first, Western media assumed that US President Donald Trump would also join the conference. However, in the end, the American leader sent his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and after the coalition meeting, he spoke with European leaders by phone. According to Reuters, Trump demanded that they completely abandon purchases of Russian oil.
— The choice of Witkoff as the US representative at the meeting of the "coalition of the willing" is a signal that Trump sent to European leaders. Because this special envoy is one of the American officials who are trying to take into account the interests of the Russian Federation," said Andrei Kortunov.
According to Oleg Karpovich, vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy, the "coalition of the willing" continues to sort out possible options for providing assistance to Kiev, but they have no real levers other than the introduction of new senseless sanctions. Apparently, they expect to draw the United States into their combinations, but the Trump administration is still cautious and in no hurry to play along with them.
The "Coalition of the Willing" regularly holds such meetings, but the peculiarity of this particular conference is that it took place against the backdrop of the SCO summit in China. Many participants in the Paris meeting drew attention to possible challenges from the "coalition" of non-Western countries. In particular, they are concerned about India's rapprochement with China, North Korea's exit from international isolation and close relations between Russia and China, Kortunov said.
Why is France taking a tough stance on Russia
The unspoken leader of the "coalition of the willing," Emmanuel Macron, is trying to hide failures on domestic issues with his activity in the foreign policy arena, French MEP Thierry Mariani told Izvestia. The level of support for the current French president has dropped to a record low of 15%, and the Elysee Palace also lacks majority support in parliament.
— The reality is simple: he brought the country and our institutions to their knees. The French see this," Mariani believes.
Four prime ministers have been replaced in France in a year, and the current government of Francois Bayrou is already awaiting a vote of confidence on September 8. His chances of remaining in office are extremely slim. Moreover, the left-wing party "Unconquered France" announced on September 9 the launch of impeachment proceedings against President Macron. Although his resignation is unlikely, the political crisis in France is only getting worse.
At the same time, Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov emphasizes that it is the need for military support for Ukraine that generally does not raise objections in French political circles. A certain range of opinions on this issue does not indicate any kind of inter-party split and fits into the logic of the pro-Kiev consensus. The anti-Russian course of official Paris is shared by the opposition forces with only minor nuances.
However, some opposition factions in the French National Assembly have repeatedly refrained from supporting parliamentary resolutions calling for increased military support for Kiev. There are also politicians who strongly condemn the actions of the West in Ukraine.
At the same time, France, despite all the instability in the country, does not intend to stop militarization. The National Strategic Review, the basic defense doctrine, updated in July 2025, talks about Paris' preparation for a high—intensity war in Europe over a five—year period. Despite the growing sense of fatigue from the Ukrainian conflict in French society, an extraordinary sharp increase in defense spending of 3.5 billion euros in 2026 and 3 billion euros in 2027 is envisaged, Meshkov noted.
"The militaristic frenzy and thoughtless support of the Kiev regime do not go unnoticed by the French economy, and sending a military contingent will inevitably become an additional burden,— the Russian ambassador in Paris believes.
Thierry Mariani notes that France is one of the few countries in the world capable of quickly deploying troops to external theaters. However, sending a contingent to Ukraine would mean crossing a red line that would pave the way for a direct clash with a foreign power.
Negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis are hampered precisely by the irreconcilable position of Ukraine and the EU. Russia has repeatedly taken initiatives to promote dialogue. For example, during the third round of negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian delegation proposed the creation of three working groups on various issues, but there was no response. As well as Russia's proposal to raise the level of negotiating groups.
If the Ukrainian crisis cannot be resolved peacefully, Russia is ready to solve all the tasks set by the armed forces, Vladimir Putin stressed during a recent visit to China. He noted that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are successfully advancing in all directions, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not capable of conducting large-scale operations trying to hold the borders.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
