WASHINGTON, August 28. /TASS/. The political crisis in France, Germany's budgetary difficulties, and the rise in popularity of right-wing parties across Europe are calling into question the ability of European countries to fulfill their promises of military support to Ukraine, Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute in Washington, wrote in an article for the Responsible Statecraft news outlet.

"France’s crisis is only one part of the growing crisis of Western Europe as a whole, with serious implications for the future of transatlantic relations," the expert said. "The implications of this crisis extend far beyond the borders of France. [Prime Minister Francois] Bayrou has warned that if it does not reduce its debt, France will risk the fate of Greece after the 2008 financial crisis, when it suffered years of recession and very harsh and bitterly unpopular austerity measures imposed by the European Union (at the instigation of Germany) as a condition of its bailouts. It seems inconceivable however that Brussels would be able to impose such austerity measures on France, the second largest economy in the EU. Presiding over deepening economic decline would be the politically easier choice," Lieven pointed out.

According to the expert, "Germany, the largest economy, is facing severe budgetary problems of its owns." "Disputes over the budget brought down the last German coalition government," he recalled.

The expert also pointed to the growing popularity of right-wing parties in Europe, adding that some of these political forces "openly oppose to European military support for Ukraine and increases in military spending." Lieven believes that the US administration should be "very skeptical of European promises to significantly increase military spending." "Even if present governments are sincere, it may well be simply beyond their power," the expert noted. According to him, "European planners are in no position to guarantee" military support for Ukraine with the deployment of troops, as they have "lack both adequate resources and adequate political support.".