America’s self-isolating president

I be ruthless, at least let it be brilliant. That is the prayer that defenders of President Donald Trump must murmur, as he blames Ukraine for being invaded and sides with Russia at the . Mr Trump’s admirers need to believe that cold yet clever gambits explain his concessions to Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin. One popular theory involves China. It is claimed that Mr Trump is wooing Russia to prise it from the arms of China, the superpower that is America’s most daunting rival. Some call this a “reverse Kissinger”.