AT present, the West is supplying the Ukrainians with weapons to defend themselves. These weapons can be used both for defence and offence, as can the MiG fighter aircraft which Poland has offered to supply to Ukraine. Unfortunately, no-one wants to upset Mr Putin, so those MiG fighter aircraft and other heavier armaments that the Ukrainians are so desperate for will remain where they are for the time being.
Putin’s threats to Nato not to interfere in their war with Ukraine
is unfortunately working, to the cost of millions of Ukrainians who believe that the West is not doing enough to save them from the Russian onslaught. Until that changes we have no option but to carry on watching mass murder being carried out each day on our television screens.
If your heart does not ache for those men, women and children, all of whom find themselves in a situation not of their making, then you do not have one that beats.
READ MORE: George Kerevan: Ukraine crisis could weaken the EU
In Putin, we are obviously not dealing with a rational human being. After speaking with him on March 12 the French President Emmanuel Macron said that Putin had no interest in ending the war. That being the case, Ukraine will have no choice but to fight their corner on their own against incredible odds which will see thousands of Ukrainians die.
How anyone with an ounce of humanity seeing those pictures on our TVs can submit an excuse for the slaughter that is being perpetrated against the Ukrainian people is beyond comprehension.
The millions of refugees fleeing from Ukraine and those willing to fight against their oppressors will be thinking only of their families’ safety and Ukraine’s freedom, just like oppressed peoples in any country who long for freedom of choice. As someone who has followed and participated in the independence movement in Scotland over more years than I care to mention and with more than a little enthusiasm, I find it hard to swallow that some people can make comments that some Unionists could construe as being sympathetic to Putin’s savagery in Ukraine or in any way give succour to such behaviour.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson dines on roast beef during talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy
I do not believe that any country has the right to invade a neighbouring country with a view to determining whether or not that country should be broken up to accommodate the inhabitants who happen to speak Russian. That would be Scottish independence blown out of the water along with most of what was left of our native Gaelic-speaking population. It would see what was left of Scotland’s land mass accommodated within the island of Barra!
After Scottish independence our electorate will determine whether Scotland will have a right- or left-leaning government or left-of-centre etc. We should concentrate on gaining Scottish independence and at the same time condemning Russian state barbarity in Ukraine.
Bill Clark
Fort William
LET’S all be very clear, Boris Johnson’s weekend visit to Ukraine had little to do with support in any way for the independence and sovereignty of that nation or pursuit of peace in the region. It was primarily to bolster the domestic image of a man mired in scandal relating to the many bumps beneath the carpet he has tried to sweep things under. Is Boris Johnson really the person that the people of Scotland want representing us on the world stage?
Ni Holmes
St Andrews
POLITICIANS and media are currently correctly occupied by the invasion of Ukraine by the Czar Putin’s regime.
However this April marks the fourth year since more than 300 Nicaraguan civilian people were shot and killed by the Ortega Murillo government police and their paramilitary supporters.
This is more obviously relevant when you realise that the Ortega regime is one of the few that supports the Putin regime.
There are currently 181 political prisoners in Nicaragua, a country with a population size similar to Scotland.
In February this year, one prisoner, 73-year-old Hugo Torres, died in captivity when denied medical treatment for chronic ailments.
We should tell our Westminster MPs to put pressure on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to increase sanctions against Ortega’s repressive regime so it stops killing Nicaraguan peasants and workers.
Norman Lockhart
Innerleithen
PERHAPS this is not the best moment for Douglas Ross to remind the voters that his party is London-based, it’s leader is the Prime Minister, its policies and priorities for devolved matters are influenced by ministers responsible for these devolved matters in England and that local councillors will have to waste time second-guessing the UK Government for a significant, highly publicised part of their funds in future.
He is asking Scots to vote for councillors who would rather go cap in hand to the UK Government for projects in devolved matters in competition with other Scottish local authorities than have the funds to spend on the manifesto promises on which they were elected.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross denies claim Tories want to 'bribe' voters with Levelling Up funding
His claim does not bode well for the return to cosy alliances between the Scottish branches of the London-based opposition parties. The leaders of the others, Alex Cole-Hamilton and Anas Sarwar, both make claims regarding the autonomy of Scottish branches.
They will not take kindly to his boasts that may require local authorities to compromise many of their manifesto promises to meet as yet unknown conditions set by the UK Tory government in raffles for funding its vanity projects over the next five years.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel