Dorcha Lee: The ball is at Putin’s feet and there is no referee to blow the whistle

Appeasement and a lack of resolve in the US and EU provide the background to Russia’s likely invasion of Ukraine 

Vladimir Putin takes aim during a visit to the 2018 World Cup Football Park in Red Square. The goal of taking Ukraine is wide open for the Russian president, who undoubtedly senses the weakness in western powers’ resolve. Picture: Russian Information Office/Anadolu/Getty

WINTER has finally arrived in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. As temperatures dropped to below freezing last week, the soft muddy ground has begun to freeze.

It is expected to drop next Friday to a daytime high of -6C and a night-time low of -10C. By the time the Winter Olympic Games begin in Beijing, on February 4, the ground in eastern Ukraine should be sufficiently frozen to allow for rapid movement of armour.