European support for U.S.-led retaliation to last week’s attacks on New York and Washington has shown signs of faltering as leaders strike a range of nuanced positions, some at odds with Washington’s. Although the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, called for a grand international coalition to fight against this plague of terrorism, leading politicians in France, Germany and Italy expressed reservations about the U.S. response, though German leaders are themselves divided. The term “war” is inappropriate, said Italian defense minister Antonio Martino, echoing view expressed across Italy’s spectrum. Germany’s president, Johannes Rau, doubted that his country’s troops would take part in any armed response, suggesting they would play a role in providing logistical support to NATO’s response. Russian defense officials have also qualified their initial signs of solidarity with the U.S. regarding military action. The defense minister ruled out launching attacks on Afghanistan from bordering former Soviet republics, and the chief of staff said Russia would not participate militarily. Spain, let, like the U.S., by a right-wing administration, has given one of the strongest signals of support.