On yet another leg of his tour to rally leaders against terrorism, Tony Blair hailed the leadership of President Putin of Russia and in private gave his blessing for the idea of Russia taking on a more important role in Nato.

Appearing with President Putin in Moscow, the prime minister said that the fact that Russia is now standing alongside America and other western countries against the terrorist threat is "living proof" of the changed world which has emerged since the events of September 11.

Before dinner at President Putin's private residence, Blair - only the third foreign leader to receive such an invitation - told the press: "We are only at the start of what we can gain from the new role for Russia. We have to deepen it at every level."