Who ate all the Minsk pies?

Why I changed my mind about the relationship between sport and politics, and (reluctantly) support a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Both Ukraine and Belarus have long-standing population worries, which the crises of recent years have exacerbated.

Recent talk of a rift between Ukraine's president and the commander–in–chief of the armed forces was not scuttlebutt.

Vladimir Putin appears confident the war in Ukraine is turning in his favour: he could yet be hoisted with his own petard, however.