When Joe Biden and Donald Trump sat down for their fireside chat last week, the outgoing president made it clear that supporting Ukraine was in the United States’ interest.

Allowing Vladimir Putin and a resurgent Russia to succeed on the battlefield would ultimately risk Washington being dragged into a much wider European ground war, Mr Biden told his former presidential rival.

It is an argument Mr Trump has swatted away throughout his latest election campaign.

But as he prepares for a return to the White House under the promise to end the war on day one, there are reasons why he may now be listening.

Mr Trump has promised to strike a deal between Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to bring fighting to an end. And he knows a thing or two about negotiating from a position of strength.

Almost a week on from that fireside chat and Mr Biden has now moved to further arm Ukraine by lifting a ban on using long-range missiles inside Russian territory.