Reports of V. Putin's imminent demise have been prominent for some time since the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. He has been variously, incurably ill, at risk of overthrow, of assassination and so forth. Of course, most recently, the shadowy Wagner Group, headed by the eccentric and possibly unstable Yevgeny Prigozhin, made a half-hearted attempt at some kind of coup, the nature and purpose of which is equally shadowy.

Putin does not come out of the coup attempt looking any stronger, rather the opposite, though I expect him to survive. Still, a wounded Putin is a dangerous Putin and the West would do well to take heed, lest the Russian President do something rash to secure his position at the top.

Zelensky will doubtless have a propaganda field day - that's to be expected - but Western leaders should resist poking the Bear.