If the new president can establish a personal rapport with Vladimir Putin, we could see a new era in international relations and a pan-European security system

A desire to improve relations with Russia was one of the few firm commitments that Donald Trump made during his election campaign. And it was a policy he stuck to throughout, even though – unlike, say, the Mexico wall – it was hardly a vote-catcher. His cabinet nominees might have tacked to the chill Congressional winds on Russia as they sought confirmation, but Trump himself did not waver. “If Vladimir Putin likes Donald Trump,” he insisted at a raucous press conference, “that is an asset, folks, not a liability.”

Both Trump’s single-mindedness and Russia’s reaction so far suggest two startling premises. The first is that an opening to Russia will be a priority for the new President; there are reports of an early summit in a third country. The second, following Putin’s surprise decision not to retaliate against Barack Obama’s diplomatic expulsions, is that Putin is keen, even desperate, for a thaw.