The Defence Secretary has compared diplomatic efforts to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine to appeasement as he said it is “highly likely” Vladimir Putin will order an attack despite the concerted talks to avert war.
Ben Wallace said there is a “whiff of Munich in the air”, in an apparent reference to the agreement that allowed German annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 but failed to prevent the Second World War.
The Cabinet minister, who this week flew to Moscow as part of the frantic spell of diplomacy, shared his concerns as US president Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart an attack would cause “widespread human suffering”.
