Readers' Letters: Ukraine peace deal needs a weakened Russia

The anniversary of the Ukraine war passes with a deeply cynical Putin subjecting the heroic Ukrainian people to another year of war that threatens to escalate to a wider conflict. President Zelensky expresses a desire it will end this year and is confident of a Ukrainian victory, but wars rarely end in success.​

Many commentators believe the Ukraine invasion is part of Russia’s ambition to restore the whole Soviet empire.

With over 100,000 dead or injured on both sides, millions displaced and stalemate on the battlefield, it is time to consider a settlement. Given the threat of China supplying Russia with lethal weapons, as ITN’s Debbie Edward reported last week, there is now the potential for the crisis to escalate to a world war.

On the face of it the Chinese 12-point peace proposal is exactly what Russia wants, but Ukraine’s position is strengthened after the announcement of a $2bn US military aid package, a major escalation in sanctions, the first delivery of Leopard tanks from Poland and the likely delivery of fighter jets from Eastern Europe.

To end the war will require an appeal to Putin’s biggest weakness, his ego, to ensure he can save face but to achieve peace with justice will ultimately require him and his henchmen to face up to their war crimes.

Neither side will back down on territory so there is a potentially a role for the UN to ensure democratic elections take place in the Donbas and Crimea.

Ultimately, however, this is about Russia’s ambition to restore the whole Soviet empire. A peace deal needs Russia weakened so it cannot hold further special military operations.

There is a risk that this may play into China’s ambition to become the world’s main global superpower, both economically and militarily, but that will ultimately be the true legacy of the war if it drags on and is allowed to escalate.

Neil Anderson

Edinburgh

Begum ruling

I had almost reached the end of Susan Dalgety's article on Shamima Begum (The Scotsman, Saturday 25) when, predictably, one comes to her comment we are treating her the way we are because she has a brown face.

No, Susan, we are not.

Shamima, glamourising in her western make-up, hairstyle, clothing, sunglasses, nail varnish etc, would like to return, with the other 425 ISIS Brits languishing in fly-infested Syrian camps to advise other young impressionable teenage girls not to emulate her; but their evident desolation is a far more potent warning.

Begum, it is claimed, justified the Manchester Arena bombing; was unfazed in her witnessing a severed head in a Caliphate waste bin, was a member of the feared Morality Police, sewed Jihadi bombers into their suicide vests, and tried to justify the enslavement and rape of Yazidi women.

She doesn't sound like “Sharon From Manchester”.

MI5 and MI6 testified to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission that she, and those like her are a security risk.On being similarly briefed, Sir Keir Starmer came to the same conclusion as Sajid Javid, changed his opinion and said she cannot return.

John V Lloyd

Inverkeithing, Fife

‘Scruffy’ police

With regard to Douglas Cowe's letter of February 25, I took particular interest in it as I am a retired police officer.

I took particular notice of his comment regarding “scruffy and untidy officers” as a few weeks ago an ex-colleague of mine, also retired, remonstrated with two officers in Dundee city centre regarding just such an appearance.

He told me that they were walking along the street blethering to each other and paying no attention to what was going on in the city centre and one with his hands in pockets. After advising them that he thought their appearance and attitude was and I quote “a disgrace” their response was to put their heads down and walk away.

I hear from long-serving officers and retired officers of similar instances and lack of interest when officers do attend to incidents. I understand that many new starts do not want to participate in the pension scheme, clearly showing that they do not see police service as a career but possibly a paid stop-gap until they can find work more suited to their fine arts or media studies degree!

Ivar Colquhoun

Newport on Tay, Fife

Gender debate

During the Conservative leadership debates little attention was paid to views on gender recognition reform in spite of the fact that the recommendations of the recent Tory-led Women and Equalities Committee, which were “broadly in line” with the bill passed by the Scottish Parliament, were apparently being ignored.

My recollections of those debates did not include forensic scrutiny of the views of the candidates on this issue or on how they might have voted nearly 20 years ago if they had been in the UK Parliament when the 2004 Gender Recognition Act was passed.

While Kate Forbes is young and relatively inexperienced in responding to media interviewers intent on exploiting her frankness, most of the general public, including SNP members, are probably more interested in her vision for the future and how she will progress self-determination in order to make Scotland a better country in which to live for all of its citizens.

Certainly despite some highly aggressive questioning she should still have managed to express her sympathetic understanding of concerns of the LGBT community but as long as she will sincerely fight to protect, and where possible advance, the rights of all minorities she should not be summarily rejected as a leadership candidate who, should she become First Minister, will have around her strong advocates of those rights (regardless of whether or not the SNP remains in coalition with the Greens).

Stan Grodynski

Longniddry

Badly treated?

In an effort to divert attention from the toxic leadership battle in the SNP, Leah Gunn Barrett argues (February 25) that Scotland has been badly treated by the UK because it is so wealthy that the Government hid the figures in case Scots decided to go it alone.

This is a rather patronising view of the shallowness of Scots, to be honest as there are many other reasons for a nation to stick together and having lots of money is neither here nor there, except for the shallow.

What is her alternative? Oh, I know. Give it all to Brussels. Of course.

Perhaps Ms Barrett would advocate California going it alone? Or Texas, maybe as both are extremely rich US states? If not, perhaps she could explain why not? She should also listen to More Or Less, the BBC's Radio 4 programme that debunks nonsensical claims, like hers about Scotland's wealth.

The only parts of the UK that fund the rest of us are London and the south-east. But, hey! Wait a moment. Perhaps Ms Barrett should advocate them going independent? Mr Putin would be so pleased! Maybe she could move south.

Apparently, the Government applying international law to the boundary between the Scottish and English sectors of the North Sea is another "Bad Britain" indicator. Perhaps Ms Barrett should consider that in relation to Rockall? Is it Scottish or Irish?

Of course, Ms Barrett manages to attack the Empire which was probably one of Scotland's greatest achievements. All separatists have include that in their letters. It's a party rule, I believe.

Andrew H N Gray

Edinburgh

Political chaos

How else could one describe what is happening in the Scottish political arena at the present time other than a state of “organised chaos”? Since Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to stand down from the position of First Minister, the SNP has imploded.

The religious and moral views of two of the candidates seem to be an issue, with accusations being made by certain SNP members about their unsuitability for office on such grounds. The battle for the Primacy has become too personal.

Then we have the third candidate claiming that a majority of votes for the SNP would allow her to declare Scotland independent.

Just how naive is she? The highest court in the land has already made a judgment on constitutional matters within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Therefore it can only be said that this particular MSP, Ash Regan, would appear to be misguided in her claims as a candidate. If she really thinks that the so-called “border” between Scotland and England is any more than a historical relic, and that it can be closed as a result of her whims, then she is truly misguided.

This whole political “circus”, which has been created by radical members of the SNP, may well create one-day headlines, but in general it does not bode well for the people of Scotland.

The only valid way forward is for the UK to remain intact!

Robert I G Scott

Ceres, Fife

Pandemic profits

With a few cases of bird flu spreading to humans in some faraway place where people live with their animals, the BBC has already found an expert in a university to talk this up, and for the BBC interviewer to mention the possibility of lockdown and to suggest cats should be kept indoors.

No doubt the pharmaceutical companies are also preparing a vaccine and no doubt government will decree we should all have it – purely as a precaution, of course.

The wheels of the pandemic business slowly start turning again.

Malcolm Parkin

Kinross

Snow joke

Two decades ago the mainstream TV news referred to snow as “a thing of the past”. However, recently they have referred to it as “extreme weather” and “a classic symptom of climate change”.

Geoff Moore

Alness, Highland