Vladimir Putin had three options: accept Ukraine’s ceasefire offer, but surrender momentum on the battlefield; reject it and risk antagonising Donald Trump; or try to drag things out so he can continue fighting as long as possible.

He has chosen option three.

By praising the US president and the idea of stopping the war, he hopes to stay in Mr Trump’s good books. But his immediate raising of “nuances” to discuss should be a red flag.

This is a classic Russian negotiating tactic – as any diplomat who has been in a room with Sergei Lavrov will tell you.

By breaking every proposal down into an infinite number of constituent parts, he will attempt to appear co-operative while playing for time, bogging down the talks, and trying to use facts on the ground to squeeze out the maximum possible concessions.

So Mr Trump and his cabinet now face a test of nerve and credibility.

They could ignore Mr Putin’s excuses about “nuances” and demand he order a ceasefire immediately – it is, after all, entirely in his power to do so.

That would mean showing the kind of impatience and coercion they applied to Volodymyr Zelenksy.