Commentary: Major European powers are divided on Ukraine

It wasn’t long ago when French President Emmanuel Macron fancied himself as Europe’s Vladimir Putin whisperer — somebody who could call up the Russian authoritarian, have an even-keeled conversation and talk some sense into him. This is precisely what Macron tried to do in the lead-up to Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. Four days before Putin gave the order, Macron, desperation in his voice, tried to test the Russian president’s interest in a diplomatic arrangement that could avert all-out war.

Macron’s gambit obviously didn’t work. Two years of destruction and hundreds of thousands of casualties later,. The same man who once counseled Europe to avoid humiliating Russia is now giving numerous interviews on why Russia’s unconditional defeat is paramount. Macron even recommended that sending European ground troops into Ukraine shouldn’t be ruled out.