Reading the words that President-elect Putin spoke to Russian nuclear weapons designers in Saturday's telegraph about "any power's place in the world [being] determined by its military might and Russia [having]
to boost its nuclear potential" (Putin says Russia must increase its nuclear potential, 01 April 2000) I spontaneously envisaged a personified Europe helping the fallen and shaken Russian bear get back onto its feet, while at the same time it is reaching for a new nuclear club with which it will be able to threaten us once it is up.

The West should make any further assistance to Russia conditional on it pursing moderate military policies, i.e. of it spending no higher percentage of its GNP on defence than other major European nations. Our continent has problems enough in the new century, without continuing to indulge in the puerile (and potentially suicidal) military rivalry of the last.