Very briefly, Russia’s war on Ukraine seemed poised to unite Europe. This unity of purpose could never have lasted. It was always fragile.

Chief among them is the Scottish National Party, which has decided it’s time to try again for independence. Nicola Sturgeon has again said the times require another referendum.

Catalan secession was long something supported by Russia. Secessionist leaders reportedly sought help from Moscow during the fallout from their 2017 referendum, during which their leaders fled Spain. More recently, the coalition in Catalonia has struggled over more recent revelations of closeness to Russia which came out during the war in Ukraine.

All of this disruption might dissuade less committed secessionists. But it has not done so in Scotland. Meanwhile, if an illegal vote in Scotland is not prevented, and does not go the way of the independence campaign, they can deal with that, too. It did not have the force of law. It was never official. They could simply move on.

This is more of a challenge to Britain and to the Western alliance than it might at first seem. There are numerous secessionist movements across Europe, in some of the continent’s most strategic and wealthy regions, with ties to Moscow.

In theory, Russia does not have a dog in any of these fights. But these things are undoubtedly disruptive. They threaten to bog down the governing of Scotland, northern Italy, Catalonia and other would-be breakaway regions in months if not years more wrangling.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters