The West must ­redouble efforts to support Ukraine after failed coup against Vladimir Putin

Seize on coup

WHATEVER else emerges from the chaos of the failed coup against Vladimir Putin one thing is clear.

Now is the time for the West to ­redouble efforts to support Ukraine.

President Zelensky’s counter-offensive has not yet delivered the kind of stunning fightback he might have hoped for.

But in the brutal factionalism now threatening to topple Putin lies a big opportunity.

Having failed to quickly and properly back Britain in its early support of Ukraine last year, the US must now up its delivery of crucial military hardware.

Putin has heavily relied on Wagner mercenaries for his war in Ukraine.

Russian generals watching warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s militia shooting down their own aircraft will not stand for any future co-operation.

Putin is now seriously weakened by this weekend’s events.

Defeat or defenestration of this vile dictator will bring its own risk.

Amid Moscow’s festering corruption sit thugs and criminals only too prepared to make Mad Vlad look like a walking olive branch.

It’s time for the US and European leaders to seize this chance to drive Russia out of Ukraine once and for all.

This war can be won.

And after that the peace, too.

Hold firm, PM

TO listen to the BBC relentlessly doom-mongering over the mortgage “crisis” you’d think half the country faced losing their houses this week.

In fact, the real pain of recent interest rate rises will take months to be felt.

So, we are in this for the long haul.

But driving down disposable incomes is not the only lever that Rishi Sunak can pull.

The PM must stick by his pledge to rule out big public sector wage rises.

Giving in to the unions will serve only to take money out of all our pockets.

He also has to end the Government’s damaging addiction to vast public spending.

Getting on top of debt will boost the Pound and do much to bring prices of imported goods down.

Tough choices need to be made — and quickly.

It’s not just the public that needs to hold its nerve in the coming months.

It’s the Prime Minister, too.

Sarah’s strength

IT was brave of Sarah Ferguson to reveal her frightening brush with breast cancer.

Thankfully, it appears the Duchess may be among the 95 per cent of cases caught early who now enjoy a good prognosis.

We wish her a speedy recovery.