AS the effective Tsar of Russia, Vladimir (the first) Putin is currently sitting pretty. Both his main enemies, the USA and the UK, are under the control of demonstrable incompetents in Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, whom he has eating out of his hand.

Moreover, Russian financial support for the “Vote Leave” campaign means he can look forward to Brexit weakening both the UK and the EU (with the coronavirus as a bonus). He is thus closer to his objective of regaining control of those countries which broke away from Russia after the collapse of the USSR. Much as I dislike the man, if only the West’s leaders were anything like as competent.

Alan Jordan, Middridge.