IS VLADIMIR PUTIN MAD AS WELL AS BAD?

OF THE many queries still surrounding the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury one at least continues to defy explanation. What on earth does Vladimir Putin think he is up to? That a slightly unbalanced narcissist should seek to wipe out his critics – meaning his country’s enemies – might be, if not normal, at least understandable, so not such a problem. What does defy explanation is to do it in such a manner that screams THIS IS ME! There are numerous ways of ending a human life, many undetectable as to the perpetrator. An assassin enters the country on forged papers – and the Kremlin has at its disposal an entire department specialising in that – as do we. With forged driving licence he rents a car – or drives it across the channel with his gun in pieces concealed within it. He drives to the victim’s house where the man lives alone. (Why choose the moment when his innocent daughter is visiting?) Knock on the door late at night. Door opens, victim stands in the frame. Phut, phut. Two slugs from a silenced automatic. Instant death.

Body in the hall. The assassin closes the door. Before the cleaner has discovered the body next morning the killer is long out of the country.

But why use Novichok? It is specifically Russian, developed and produced only in their laboratories, fanatically guarded, available to no one but their secret police. And then the crazy spouting of denials and lies from every Russian official.

It is not just Britain that knows they are lying. The entire world accepts this. One wonders not about their humanity – that there is none is a given. In dispute now is their sanity.