That is why the EU, with America’s backing, has been led by its own vainglorious delusions into the mess we see today. The Nato leaders know there is little they can usefully do about it. For months they have been talking about those “sanctions”, while being only too uncomfortably aware that the EU depends on Russia for 30 per cent of the gas it needs to keep its cookers working and its lights on. Even when President Hollande of France was urging David Cameron all those months ago to slam the doors of the City of London on the Russian bankers and oligarchs who have £27 billion invested in the UK, we knew that Britain had £46 billion invested in Russia.