Perilous game

The stand-off over Ukraine now resembles a game of chicken – pitting Russia and NATO on a course to collision.

And what is even more scary is that neither side shows any sign of swerving to avoid it.

If Vladimir Putin does not invade his neighbour – which he says he won’t – he will have the satisfaction of making Joe Biden and Boris Johnson look like fools for saying that he will.

If the Russian president does break his word and moves his troops across the border, Europe could be plunged into years of bloodshed.

Either way we should know the outcome this week. But peace is too precious a commodity to play power games over.

And if Mr Putin chooses not to invade he could simply leave his forces in place and allow stalemate to drag on.

At the Munich Security Summit yesterday, Mr Johnson said he is willing to work with Mr Putin to prove that NATO is not an aggressive alliance but a defensive one.

That was a welcome olive branch after all the PM’s bellicose war-like talk.

Mr Putin should grasp it.

Better for world leaders to get their heads together than bang their heads together.