Emmanuel Macron has been called out for “grovelling to Putin” after the French President travelled to Moscow to broker a deal over Ukraine between Russia and the West. Mr Gardiner went on to blast the EU attempts to “appease” the Kremlin over Ukraine as “weak-kneed.” Russian forces have begun carrying out combat exercises in Belarus amid fears an invasion of Ukraine is imminent.

Mr Gardiner told GB News: “China has targeted numerous Commonwealth countries and there are at least 54 nations still part of what used to be known as the British Commonwealth now called the Commonwealth.

“And China actually is operating as the world’s biggest imperial power today and unlike the British Empire, the Chinese Empire is not a benevolent empire at all.

“The Chinese basically are exploiting countries across the Commonwealth for their own economic interests, of course, and China is turning its fire on Britain because unlike our European partners in France and Germany and Brussels, for example, the British are standing up strongly against Chinese interests.

“You look at what the British are doing over Hong Kong, for example, the British standing up to China in the South China Sea and across the international stage.

“Whereas our European weak-kneed partners are actually doing their best to appease the Chinese dragon.”

He continued: “And if you look, for example, at the recent EU investment deal with Beijing, it is a supreme act of appeasement and it’s what the Europeans do best.

“Which is, you know, bow down to the likes of Russia and China.

“We’re also seeing on the Ukraine front with Emmanuel Macron grovelling to Putin and basically shining his boots over the Ukraine issue.”

“Calm … is essential from all parties in words and in deeds,” Mr Macron added.

He went on to praise President Zelenskiy for “the sangfroid that you are showing, and which the Ukrainian people are showing, in the face of military pressure on your borders and on your country”.

Mr Zelenskiy, for his part, made clear he was sceptical of any assurances Mr Macron may have received from Putin.

“I do not really trust words, I believe that every politician can be transparent by taking concrete steps,” the Ukrainian leader said.

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