IT must be clear to anyone with a modicum of common sense by now that the Prime Minister of the UK is consistently out of his depth in matters domestic as well as in foreign policy. His bombastic rhetoric regarding Russian aggression in the Ukraine was followed by a supine attempt at sanctions that speaks volumes of the Conservative party’s dependence on the generosity of Russian billionaires.

For example, the owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, like many of his wealthy fellow Russians, enjoys the ear of Mr Putin, despite being feted by Conservative party MPs. Plainly Boris Johnson, as is his wont, will protect his party and his position at any price, as his tokenistic response to sanctions would suggest.

READ MORE: Liz Truss exposed in car-crash interview about Russian money in the UK

Johnson is a man who has surrounded himself with sycophants and mediocrities, as the responses to the crisis of his foreign and defence ministers will testify to. The vacuous Liz Truss consistently lacks gravitas in whatever role she performs in, but to entrust her with the job of Foreign Secretary is surely beyond parody. Her latest utterances about saving more severe sanctions for the future is simply unconvincing obfuscation.

The UK defence minister, the belligerent Ben Wallace, seems determined to recklessly cite historical examples to justify his immoderate statements during the course of this international dilemma. First he compared the Ukrainian government’s restrained and prudent approach to the Russian build-up of troops and equipment as appeasement, and then he somewhat ridiculously and jingoistically mentioned the Crimean War with a reference to Britain “kicking the Russians’ backside”.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon meeting 'moved' us but UK not doing enough, says Ukrainian Association chair

As other European states act like the grown-ups in the room, the UK continues to be an international embarrassment, professing to be a leading player but realistically an American poodle that is embroiled in a parochial and xenophobic historical time warp.

The Westminster government’s glaring inadequacies are both frustrating and alarming. However, whatever solution is finally arrived at for the current emergency in Ukraine, it is certain that Johnson and his cronies will milk their minor part in it for all they are worth, unless of course their super-wealthy Russian donors decide to return home.

Owen Kelly
Stirling

IS no-one in the Scottish Government capable of asking the question, why are we supporting Ukraine when we have been ignoring for decades what has been happening in Palestine? It maybe that politicians find it easier to protect extreme right-wing regimes supported by America. I hold no support for Napoleonic Putin but it seems he holds all the cards because he is proud of his country and has invested in such a way that he does not need the West, unlike our own leaders who sell off the land and silver to anyone willing to pay.

READ MORE: What are the UK Conservative Party's links to Russian money and who are the donors?

RT is the way our BBC used to be before the Tories got control over it, and are we going to ban intelligent people from listening to news broadcasts? Is that not a wee bittie fascist? We now live in a country which jails reporters for telling the truth, viz Julian Assange and Craig Murray. Be very aware of what governments in Britain are up to; in the words of Martin Niemoller “and then they came for me.”

Rosemary Smith
East Kilbride

RUSSIA decides that bits of the Ukraine are not really Ukranian so takes over, and we impose sanctions. Israel decides that Palestine isn’t really Palestinian so takes over, imposes military rule, practises detention without trial, decides who can live where based on race, builds a huge Berlin-type wall to segregate Palestinians, doesn’t allow free travel, redraws boundaries, evicts non-Jews from areas re-designated Jewish areas, moves in more than 500,000 Jewish settlers etc and what sanctions do we impose?

Well, actually none because the USA supports that kind of takeover. Welcome to the world of hypocrisy.

B Mckenna
Dumbarton

IN his criticism of Alex Salmond’s regular appearance on Russia Today, Boris Johnson erroneously referred to Salmond as one of the SNP’s “own”. However, what Johnson neglected to mention was that one of his “own”, Conservative MP David Davies, has appeared on the programme as well as former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik. Yet another example of Boris Johnson’s inattention to detail.

Sandy Gordon
Edinburgh

READ MORE: Boris Johnson TWICE links Salmond to SNP in 'unacceptable' remarks

IT would appear that Alex Salmond, and presumably Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, are to continue to take cash from the Russian government and participate on their state broadcasting channel. Is this a reflection of an Alba policy decision on the attack on Ukraine?

Archie Drummond
Tillicoultry

SOMEONE should gently point out to Boris Johnson that no such thing exists as the “Scottish Authority” (PM under fire for “Scottish Authority” reference, Feb 22). The representatives who meet at Holyrood are known – officially – as MSPs, and this stands for Members of the Scottish PARLIAMENT.

Peter Swain
Dunbar

I HOPE that I am not the only one of your readers to find the article by Shona Craven in Monday’s National thoroughly distasteful (Working when unwell is nothing to be celebrated, Feb 22). The snide comments, the ersatz worry about the health of the Queen’s staff I find repellent. Ms Craven refers to the Queen of Scots as elderly, she is not elderly she is very old and still trying to do her job.

R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian