Politico reported on the EU's unwillingness to confront Russia

The European Union (EU) does not want to go to confrontation with Russia, fearing conflict on the continent. This was reported by the Politico newspaper on September 29.

"In private conversations, government officials expressed concern about the prospect of a "Franz Ferdinand moment" when a sudden escalation could drag the continent into conflict, as happened in 1914 after the assassination of the Archduke, which triggered the First World War," the publication says.

The newspaper recalled that a summit of EU leaders will be held in Copenhagen on October 1. According to Politico, preparations for the summit are taking place against the backdrop of increased tensions, when the world community is once again returning to "saber-rattling," especially after the summit of the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska, which caused some optimism.

The publication emphasizes that European countries are becoming more aggressive in their policies, and the EU is having difficulty agreeing on a unified position on Russia. Inaction and disagreements can become an escalation factor, the newspaper's interlocutors say.

Rafael Losse, a defense policy specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations, noted that the task of European leaders in Copenhagen is to find a balance of deterrence in order to manage incidents without allowing them to escalate into crisis or conflict.

"It's very difficult when the president of the United States, the largest NATO ally, says, 'Feel free to shoot down [Russian planes], but I don't know if I'll support you,'— he concluded.

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On September 22, British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper announced the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO due to Russia's alleged violation of Estonian airspace.

Later, on September 25, it was reported that the Polish authorities were considering changing legislation that would allow Polish military personnel to shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine without prior approval from NATO or the European Union (EU).

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