Conservative confusion over the Ukraine

As Isabel Hardman reports on the Spectator Coffee House blog, some Conservatives are trying to link Putin heedless behaviour over the Ukraine with Labour's refusal to back British military intervention in Syria.

Truly, there is no end to the courage of the laptop warrior. And, as Hardman says, this approach ignores the fact that 30 Conservative backbenchers voted against military intervention in Syria too.

It also ignores the view of the senior Conservative MP Edward Leigh, as stated in the Commons on Friday:

May I express that last question in a slightly gentler way by asking if we can avoid any Russophobia in this debate? “Ukrayina” means “borderland” in Russian, and Ukraine has always been a legitimate sphere of Russian interest. In the shape of the Kievan Rus, it was the foundation of the modern Russian state in 800 AD, so can we accept that only the Russians can bail out this state to any significant extent and we have to work with them?

With views like that, Leigh could replace Seamus Milne at the Guardian.