Ukraine: Scully grilled on why French talks 'more effective'

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Kay Burley spoke to Paul Scully and grilled the minister over Emmanuel Macron’s progress with Vladimir Putin as the two sides vowed a “diplomatic solution” over Ukraine with a US/Russia summit planned. Mr Burley pointed out the fact to Mr Scully and said Mr Macron had made more progress than Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who was branded a “dumb and a deaf person” as talks failed to materialise much progress. Mr Scully fought back against the claim, arguing Ms Truss had to say things that were uncomfortable to listen to, hence the hostile reception from Russia.

Speaking on Sky News, Ms Burley wondered how much Europe and NATO may owe Emmanuel Macron following relatively successful talks with Mr Putin. 

She asked Mr Scully: “How much do we have to take our hats off to the soft diplomacy from President Macron? 

“Who again was on the phone yesterday to President Putin for almost two hours.

“And it does look as though we might potentially be heading towards some sort of summit between the Americans and the Russians as a direct result of President Macron getting involved?”

Mr Scully took the spotlight off the French president and said: “I think what’s really good is all of the NATO countries are working closely together on this. 

“So that they’re all playing leading roles in making sure that we can defuse the situation and hopefully, therefore, Vladimir Putin will step back from that situation which as I say, will be pretty horrendous.” 

Ms Burley pushed the point and said Mr Macron “seems to be far more effective than we are” and wanted to know why.

Mr Scully disagreed with the Sky News presenter saying Ms Truss was “snubbed” when she visited Russia for talks.

The Small Business Secretary added: “That’s because she’s saying things that aren’t really palatable to the Russian foreign minister, things he doesn’t want to hear…

“I think you have to say the good and the bad,. you have to say the things that they don’t want to [hear] but then you have to give people a way out. 

“That’s just diplomacy, that you never cut their retreat and I hope, therefore, both of those approaches come together, alongside the foreign secretary’s work with Poland and Ukraine…

“And the Prime Minister being in the security conference in Munich… and people will have come to see that it’s right to step back.”

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