In one sense, the US president’s overture to Putin to discuss peace in Ukraine has given the Russian president exactly what he wanted: for Washington to treat Moscow with the respect – and perhaps even fear – that the Soviet Union once commanded from the west.

Mr Putin has said repeatedly that he’s open to talks about a settlement to Russia’s nearly three-year-long war, even as he also insists he won’t give up territories that his army seized in the east and south of Ukraine since he ordered the full-scale invasion.