Vladimir Putin warned “western elites” against trying to damage the new bond between the US and Russia on Thursday. Speaking to his Federal Security Service (FSB) chiefs on Thursday – the day of Keir Starmer’s press conference with Donald Trump – the Russian president called for his agents to “disrupt” any attempts to break up the rapprochement.

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 the US military ships out, the Europeans will need speed, cohesion and piles of money – not exactly attributes they’re famous for.