‘Just give Ukraine the planes’ is the battle cry of the armchair generals. It's not that simple | Martin Kettle

A year on from Russia's invasion, there is no shortage of pontification. What's required now is statecraft

Cut to the chase and give them the planes, demanded Boris Johnson during Monday's Commons exchanges on Ukraine. Send them the fighter jets, insisted Liz Truss a few moments later during the same debate, as the two ex-prime ministers vied to flaunt the leadership qualities they lacked when they were actually in power.

If only the Ukraine war were as easily resolved as we armchair experts like to think. But it is not - and it won't be when the fighting resumes soon either. The anniversary of Vladimir Putin's invasion this week has provided a platform for a lot of well intentioned pontification. It's often spot on, as Joe Biden's was in Kyiv and Warsaw this week. Good for morale, undoubtedly. Not so good for objectivity, however, or for statecraft.