He beams broadly at the British King as the two shake hands, saunters offstage to hug a BBC journalist, giggles with Macron and Scholz over a minor flag mixup. And then, down to business: "We have freedom - now give us wings to protect it," he appeals.

Zelensky's European tour seems like more of a charisma offensive than a platform for negotiation. He is greeting European leaders from Rishi Sunak to Olaf ScholzThe new chancellor of Germany. and Emmanuel MacronThe current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance. like old friends.

But for the West, this might feel like a relationship moving too fast. Diplomatic relations between the UK and Ukraine began just 31 years ago. Now, in the midst of an ever-escalating war with Russia, the Ukrainian president is asking for valuable fighter jets and long-range missiles.

Western nations have recently committed to sending Leopard 1 and 2 tanks after a long and controversial debate. But Zelensky has warned that Ukraine's position in the war could "stagnate" without combat planes and long-range weaponry.

Nobody wants to make any rash promises. So far, the West has sent more than 320 tanks, 2,400 armoured vehicles, 450 artillery pieces and 135 air-defence systems to Ukraine. 

But this has not come without retaliation. The threat of nuclear warfare has risen exponentiallyExponential growth is when the rate of growth increases steadily over time, for instance by doubling: 1, 2, 4, 8 rather than 1, 2, 3, 4. This kind of growth has the capacity to lead to dramatic changes over relatively short time spans. over the months. One of Putin's closest allies and propagandists has alluded to possible nuclear strikes on Ukraine, Poland, the UK and the USA.¹

And yesterday, Zelensky claimed that the Ukrainian army had intercepted Russian plans to "destroy" Moldova.

It is not controversial to call this a new Cold WarA period of diplomatic conflict between blocs led by the USA and the USSR that lasted from 1947 until 1991, when the USSR collapsed.. It has all the hallmarks: geopolitical tensions, nuclear paranoia, propaganda and threats of open warfare. But some go one step further, claiming we have already entered a third world war.

The ongoing war is the largest military conflict in Europe since World War Two, with 25 NatoThe North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to unite Western democracies in Europe and North America against the perceived growing threat of the USSR. It now has 31 members. members supplying military assistance to Ukraine. 

Some experts think we have already lost our "exit ramp". They say that the situation can no longer be de-escalated. Every time we poke the bear, he gets closer to launching a nuclear warhead.

And Putin's ambitions are only growing. Chechnya. Georgia. Syria. Ukraine. Moldova? Poland? The world?

Yes: Unfortunately, there is little chance of the West de-escalating the war at this point. Putin's ambitions are only growing, and the West's military support is placing it increasingly in the firing line.

No: We should not stoke fear for what may never happen. Nobody wants to welcome all-out nuclear war, and survival instincts will prove more powerful than we might think.

Or... We could certainly call this a Cold War, but given that there is no direct warfare between Nato and Russia as of yet, it would be inaccurate to call it a world war.

Olaf Scholz - The new chancellor of Germany.

Emmanuel Macron - The current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance.

Exponentially - Exponential growth is when the rate of growth increases steadily over time, for instance by doubling: 1, 2, 4, 8 rather than 1, 2, 3, 4. This kind of growth has the capacity to lead to dramatic changes over relatively short time spans.

Cold War - A period of diplomatic conflict between blocs led by the USA and the USSR that lasted from 1947 until 1991, when the USSR collapsed.

Nato - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to unite Western democracies in Europe and North America against the perceived growing threat of the USSR. It now has 31 members.