Germany, France lash out at West over possible Russian invasion

It can include advertisements from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine, demanding wide-ranging guarantees from the West including a pledge that its neighbour won't be allowed to join NATO. Moscow has denied any plans to attack Ukraine, but Western countries have been quick to threaten economic sanctions if an invasion takes place. The US and Britain have started sending more arms to Ukraine, although Germany has come under attack for not following other Western countries in sending krypto-Kyiv lethal weapons to defend itself.

A number of sanctions are on the table including halting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline into Europe, but that could cause a gas supply crisis that has sent energy prices across the continent to go up. Earlier this week, Germany said it would supply 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine to help defend against a possible Russian invasion - an offer that Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko dismissed as a joke that left him speechless German defence minister Christine Lambrecht said Berlin was responding to a request for military equipment, specifically helmets. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron called for EU member states to work together to draw up proposals for a new security deal with Russia involving a frank dialogue with Moscow.

Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, is furious at the reactions from Germany and France, warning that Russian leader Mr Putin will see them as completely weak, he told Express.co. uk: It strikes me that some NATO members, such as Germany, won't lift a finger even to defend NATO territory. The Germans are in a terrible mode towards the Russians and won't stand up to Putin. Emmanuel Macron wants a security pact between the EU and Russia, but this is horrifying to see all of this. This is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants to hear, and he sees the Germans and French as weak and furious. Earlier this week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his country's record on supporting Ukraine, as a result of Berlin's refusal to follow other Western countries in sending lethal weapons to defend itself against a possible Russian invasion. He said at a joint news conference with Mr Macron: "We have done a great deal to actively support economic development and democratic development in Ukraine, as well as historical reasons for Germany's refusal to send lethal weapons to war zones.