The entrance of Russian troops into Kazakhstan, part of an operation by the forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation of ex-Soviet states, has been described euphemistically as a peacekeeping operation. The Kazakh government has been facing a wave of protests — precipitated by a rise in energy prices, but with their roots in years of corruption and repression. Vladimir Putin was never likely to allow a regime headed by a friendly autocrat to fall to mass protests. Whether Russian soldiers will indeed stay in the country only on a temporary basis remains to be seen.

However, the crisis in Kazakhstan is unlikely to distract Mr Putin for long from another foreign policy priority: Ukraine. The threat of a Russian invasion has not disappeared, and the only response Western nations have been able to muster thus far are warnings of economic sanctions, which have not dissuaded the Kremlin in the past.

European countries share some of the blame for the failure to be more robust. The EU is divided, with Germany compromised by its economic links with Russia. However, the real weakness in the Western alliance is Joe Biden. Elected to unify his country after the Trump years, he has ended up exacerbating divisions. Desperate to leave Afghanistan, he was responsible for the catastrophic flight from Kabul and the resulting blow to American influence.

Will Mr Biden finally be able to demonstrate the leadership and strength of character necessary to deter Mr Putin from further acts of aggression in the coming weeks? That the answer to that question is not immediately obvious illustrates the dangers facing the free world today.