(FINANCIAL TIMES) - Vladimir Putin was not the only one who got it wrong. The Russian leader's assumption that his armies would vanquish Ukraine within days was widely shared. The same Western intelligence agencies that correctly predicted that Russia would invade Ukraine also believed that Mr Putin would probably win a swift victory.

But almost three months into the war, Moscow's military is bogged down and has taken heavy losses. Russia's international isolation is getting worse, with the confirmation that Finland and Sweden are planning to join Nato.