The European Union and Nato face a significant challenge from the unfolding diplomatic rapprochement between Russia and Turkey. For centuries, these two countries were implacable enemies and efforts a decade ago to forge a strategic partnership were undone by the Syrian civil war. While Moscow propped up Bashar al-Assad, Ankara either stayed out or supported his enemies. Relations hit a low point last November when Turkish jets shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber near the Syrian border for violating Turkey’s airspace. Russia imposed sanctions and a freeze descended once more.

But even before the attempted military take-over last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had decided he could no longer afford a cold war with Moscow and began making overtures to the Kremlin. The failed coup appears to have expedited matters: yesterday Mr Erdogan met with Vladimir Putin to agree to normalise relations between the two countries.

For President Putin, the opportunity to drive a wedge between Turkey, Nato and the EU is a small price to pay for abating Russian anger over the jet incident. He must recognise in Mr Erdogan a leader cut from the same cloth - a democratically elected nationalist behaving more like a despot.