Letter: Russia in crisis
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: The dramatic decline of Russia's economy and consequent political stagnation is viewed with alarm by Western governments and the global financial institutions they implicitly represent.
I am astounded and increasingly angered by the stance taken by our leaders, who continue to demand economic policies which are clearly causing enormous damage to Russian society and its people.
What Russia needs is a careful and planned transition towards capitalism, involving wide public debate, the rebuilding and maintenance of public services (apparently run by a volunteer workforce at present in Russia), intelligent, moderate leadership and above all sensitive and long-term support from the West.
This will involve replacing the drunken buffoon Yeltsin, who has presided over one of the worst cases of missed opportunity in Russian history. He has always struck me as a man completely out of his depth as leader of a country as complex and politically awkward as Russia. This is clearly a view that has been held by the majority of Russian parliamentarians for some time; something the West, in its haste, ironically, to encourage democracy, has overlooked.
The West must deal with the democratically elected majority of Russian politicians who are extremely unlikely to revert to "old style" Communism, as feared, but do need to be supported and encouraged to build a future that incorporates a modicum of concern for the welfare of the Russian people rather then the concern, to date, expressed exclusively for the dividends of foreign investors.
PETER BRADLEY
Chertsey,
Surrey
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments