Recent weeks have been kind to Russian President Vladimir Putin. First, the US drafted a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine that gave Russia everything it wanted – and then some.

Under the terms of the proposal, Kyiv would not only have to cede territory it has lost both in 2014 and since the start of the full-scale invasion that began in 2022, but also withdraw from land that Russian troops have not managed to conquer. Not only would this be a “neutral demilitarised buffer zone”, but it would be “internationally recognised as territory belonging to the Russian Federation”.

In addition, the plan insisted Ukraine would not join Nato, while Nato, for its part, would agree not to admit Ukraine “in the future” – with the wording suggesting this restriction would be one to last in perpetuity.

On top of that were limits to the size of the Ukrainian army, the obligation to hold elections (“within 100 days”), and the commitment for schools in Ukraine to teach “educational programmes” that would eliminate “racism and prejudice” and promote “understanding and tolerance of different cultures.” In other words, ideas that would promote positive ideas about Russia.

If that were not enough, there were further epic rewards for Moscow. Russia was to be “reintegrated into the global economy,”........

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