At the heart of the dispute are vastly differing calculations of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s overall geopolitical intentions, and whether he’s scheming to reassert Russian influence over a swathe of Europe.

If anyone thought Mr Merz was being alarmist, they were swiftly disabused. On February 24th, on a UN resolution that blamed Russia for invading Ukraine, America voted against its European allies and sided with Russia and North Korea.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned "Western elites" against trying to sabotage a potential rapprochement between Russia and the United States, saying Moscow would use its diplomats and intelligence services to thwart such efforts.