Thinking British people now understand that Russia’s assault on Ukraine could succeed, because President Putin is displaying more staying power than the West. There is also a realisation that the United States has tired, probably for ever, of leading and largely funding the defence of Europe.

Though successive British prime ministers have professed to embrace Ukraine, which is essentially our proxy in facing down Russian aggression, they have done almost nothing to sustain the supply of munitions, once the army’s cupboard was emptied.

Remember the self-congratulation about our dispatch of a handful of Challenger tanks, and hosting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest because Ukraine was unable to do so?

The only mitigation for faltering British support is that most of our neighbours have done

ministers articles