When Woodrow Wilson delivered his Fourteen Points speech, the longest point was reserved for the treatment of Russia.

The then US president called for Moscow “obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy, and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing”.

For generations, academics and diplomats have argued whether this meant welcoming Russia into the post-war world as a nation – but not as an empire.

The speech delivered by Wilson on Jan 8 1918 to Congress is widely considered America’s first foray into establishing and policing an international rules-based order.