President Vladimir Putin of Russia recently described the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, which divided Europe between Nazism and communism and precipitated the second world war, as a measure to enhance Russia's national security. Mr Putin's favourable interpretation of an agreement that condemned half of Europe to captivity underscores how Russia continues to define its national interests at the expense of its neighbours.

Mr Putin's imperial mindset was further revealed in his annual state of the nation address this week, when he claimed that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century. Russia's imperial traditions and strategic ambitions will be on display on May 9 when Moscow marks the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. The anniversary has become a highly charged political issue between the Kremlin and the central European states that were occupied by the Soviet Union during and after the war.