Keir Starmer’s handling of the Trump presidency, and that of the UK diplomatic services, has been near impeccable. From wooing him before the election to last week’s White House visit, there is good reason that he is attracting praise from his Westminster opponents and his approval ratings have improved in the country as a whole.

Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat has indirectly dismissed Keir Starmer’s idea to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov attacked European leaders who are still supporting Ukraine three years after Putin launched his brutal invasion.