On 24 February 2022, Russian armies swept across Ukrainian territory. Trump’s election heralds a new approach to the Ukraine issue. Perhaps now is a good time to revisit the background to this sordid war. The maximalist enlargement of NATO, a “tragic mistake”? When the USSR collapsed, two schools of thought emerged in the West. The messianic school of those who believe that the Western model of liberal democracy is destined to extend its influence. From this point of view, welcoming a former Soviet country into NATO is tantamount to allowing it to embrace civilisation, by removing it from the authoritarian...