While our leaders and Op-Ed writers argue the toss about the rights and wrongs of Ukraine’s possible eventual membership of NATO, let’s not forget that the EU is trying to work with Ukraine and Russia to ‘manage’ various vast processes in which we all have common interests.

One – maybe the only one that ultimately counts? – concerns how people move to and fro across borders. In particular, if Ukraine is to move towards EU membership it needs to have arrangements in place to deal with how non-Ukrainians enter Ukraine and move on into EU-space.

The problem is that as one moves further East the sheer length of the national borders is a vital factor. We struggle to control the borders of our foggy island. How in a best-case way should Ukraine and Russia in fact jointly manage their common border 1576 km long?

This piece (try to ignore the Hot Babe on the Bull) looks at all this in some detail. It concludes:

Possibly tomorrow they will create a general all-EU policy that positively recognises the subcontinent’s dependence upon its Eurasian hinterland.

My guess? The day after tomorrow.

Update:  Now I know what captures readers’ attention, as if there was any doubt on the subject: the words ‘Hot Babe’.

Yes, she’s on a hippo, not a bull. My bad. But … why?