Macron ‘in denial’ about Russian intentions ahead of Ukraine invasion, says Boris Johnson

Former PM also claims Germany wanted Ukraine to fall swiftly to avoid economic pain

Boris Johnson has claimed France was “in denial” about Russia’s hostile intentions towards Ukraine ahead of February’s invasion, while accusing the German government of initially favouring a quick victory for Moscow.

The former prime minister risked deeply offending European allies in his assessment of their attitudes to the impending war in an interview with CNN.

And a spokesperson for German chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed his claims as “utter nonsense”, saying: “We know that the very entertaining former prime minister always has his own relationship with the truth. As such, I think the facts speak against the insinuation I heard in this interview,””