There seems to be little doubt that Donald Trump tried to pressurise the president of Ukraine to do him an irregular political favour, an attempt which clearly failed. He wanted Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an inquiry into the activities of Hunter Biden, son of President Obama’s Vice President Joe Biden, who was on the board of a major Ukrainian oil company. President Trump insinuated that Ukraine’s failure to announce such an inquiry could jeopardise a 400-million dollar military aid package. He also wanted an investigation into any Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, to switch blame for that away from Russia.

No such inquiries were announced; President Zelensky denied feeling under pressure; the aid package was eventually delivered; and no proof of impropriety by Hunter Biden has since emerged. Ukraine, it is now clear, did not interfere in the election, and Russia did. So how serious a political sin did President Trump commit? Mortal, says the Democratic Party in Congress. It now controls the lower house and is pressing there for his impeachment, which, if upheld, would summarily remove Mr Trump from the White House. Really?