Joe Barnes

Take a listen to my colleagues discussing Biden’s decision to allow Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil with US-supplied Atacms and Olaf Scholz’s recent call with Vladimir Putin.

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The diplomat adds: ‘Scholz thinks he'll be able to attract the AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht [far-left] and thus save himself. But that's too dangerous for Germany and Europe.’

EU diplomat says: ‘Clearly, the idea of appeasement cannot be eradicated. Even now, there are people who think that they can close their eyes and suddenly the war does not concern them.‘

I’ve spoken to numerous EU diplomats and officials tonight about Olaf Scholz’s call with Putin, they mostly argue that it was made in desperation on Scholz’s part.

An EU official tells me: ‘he is fighting for survival domestically so wanted possibly to divert attention.