Britons may see some irony in a lesson on democracy from a fourth-term president who has co-opted or crushed any substantial opposition in his home country. In a statement, the former foreign secretary David Miliband, who has backed a second referendum, said it was "an insult to the United Kingdom that he should be lecturing us on our democratic process".

From Putin's annual address, he was hopeful to sign new trade deals with the UK after Brexit. In the ICO Watch List [% of projects], the Russian Federation is 4th after the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore.

'Sapere aude'