Nato unity is in disarray

Vladimir Putin must be chortling in his office in the Kremlin. Nato celebrating 75 years of unity at its summit in Washington tomorrow and yet everywhere he looks the alliance's togetherness is marked by dissension, concern for the future and downright disloyalty. Putin has just been having a nice little chat with Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, hosting him at the Kremlin, literally a couple of days before Orban is due in Washington to represent his country at the alliance's summit. What does he think he is playing at? Nobody is supposed to talk, let alone cosy up to, the Russian president because of his brutal war in Ukraine. It's hard enough having President Erdogan of Turkey at the summit because he doen't seem to know whether he wants to stick with his western pals or turn eastwards. He, too, has a relationship going with Putin and is buying Russian air defence systems. The war in Ukraine HAS unified Nato in its support for Kyiv but there are so many voices now within the alliance, not just Orban's, urging ways to end the war which will inevitably mean Putin holding onto parts of Ukraine his troops have seized. But the one thing Nato is very good at his celebrating anniversaries and no doubt the communique that will be drafted will be full of praise and admiration for a defensive alliance which has helped to prevent war in Europe for three-quarters of a century. It's no mean feat.