Zelensky has no option other than to come to an agreement with Russia that serves his country long-term

I am absolutely horrified about the destruction and deaths in Ukraine. However, I am even more horrified about the name-calling President Biden has sunk to and some of the noises coming from some of our leaders of the so-called free world.

Quite clearly, Ukraine and Russia are caught up in a historical issue which must be resolved – and could have been resolved years ago; if only America had not egged on and pushed for Nato membership. Putin was clear about this in Munich in 2008. President Zelensky is being fetishised by the west and pushes openly and unashamedly for World War Three and a possible nuclear option. This is unforgivable. I see nothing heroic in having your country destroyed. Principles only make sense if you can afford them.

The only way forward for Zelensky is to have the will to sit down and negotiate and to have the courage to compromise, seeing that he is in a very weak position. And whether or not Zelensky likes this, he has no option other than to come to an agreement with Russia that serves his country long-term. Every day lost brings more destruction and more deaths. For what gain? More destruction and more deaths and the daily glamour in our press for heroic deeds? The daily and endless fearmongering of chemical weapons, possibly being used by Russia – and the eventual use of nuclear weapons? It’s simply unforgivable.

Russia has made its case clear – if we are willing to listen. It basically tells us to stop pushing Russia around and to accept that it also has rights. This has nothing to do with whether or not I like Putin. In any situation in life, it pays dividends to start with the facts as best as one understands them. It’s not just the oil and gas we should consider, but the impending famine for years to come, particularly in third world countries which will not have access to the grains now not being grown and harvested in the Ukraine. Wars make a mockery of our noble net zero aim to save this planet of ours. Wars never make it into the equation!

Gunter Straub

London

Liz Truss speaks of a protracted conflict in Ukraine, whilst Boris Johnson reiterates that Putin must fail and that our missiles are on the way. Rather than talking up more war, the foreign secretary and prime minister might do better by trying to constructively mediate a rapid ceasefire and a workable solution.

Bambos Charalambous

Manchester

Listening to the BBC radio news, I heard an American declaring that “we would not give up an inch of Nato territory”. Sir, there is no Nato territory. There are only the independent east European states, which are at present “occupied” and “protected” – Mafia-style – by western military force. It is this enforced occupation right up to Russia’s borders that is the cause of the present Russia-Ukraine hostilities.

One can only imagine how the USA would have reacted if Russian military forces were “protecting” Mexico, and the USA found itself with 40,000 Russian soldiers along its border. Russia is not the problem.

David Lee

Address supplied

Am I the only person to note that we never now talk about “The Ukraine”? Isn’t this clear proof that the nation with its fight for independence has truly grown up?

John Polley

Andover

We can all share in the joy of the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. But her incarceration need not have happened in the first place.

Six years ago Zaghari-Ratcliffe went out to Iran, in the knowledge that at least 30 other people of dual nationality like her own had been swept into the same fate as she was about to endure.

The action resulted in six years of intense emotional suffering for her family, and worse for herself, together with an inordinate amount of time and energy expended on her behalf by the Foreign Office.

Never was the maxim “prevention is better than cure” more appropriate.

Edward Thomas

Eastbourne

Nothing will convince me that if Priti Patel had her way she would not receive any asylum seekers from anywhere – including Ukraine. Her policy makes it as difficult as possible, if not impossible because she wants total control of our borders.

The home secretary’s policies and those of the government make me ashamed of this country.

Graham Jarvis

Leeds

Two months on from when the story first broke, the Metropolitan Police are only just starting to interview “key witnesses” in the Downing Street Partygate investigation. This is a huge step forward from sending key participants such as Boris Johnson self-completion questionnaires as to whether they broke lockdown rules, but some might ask why the “investigation” is proceeding at a pace normally associated with the formation of continents.

No doubt the Met have more pressing priorities on their time – like strip-searching and humiliating children, sending racist and misogynist social media messages to each other and protecting the empty mansions of oligarchs.

Sasha Simic

London

Perhaps the most concerning of Boris Johnson’s many flaws is his inability to concentrate on anything for long enough to see it through to a satisfactory conclusion.

Since he is driven by the need to serve his own ends, it is no surprise that he is eager to “move on” and leave a catalogue of incomplete initiatives in chaos behind him for others to clear up. In summary: our departure from the EU is still damaging the economy; the trashing of all sensible safeguards means that Covid is an increasing threat to our people; the inadequate funding of health and social care puts the vulnerable at risk – as does the lack of proper attention given to the cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile, the enquiries into Russian interference with government, the management of the pandemic and irresponsible gatherings at No 10 are sidelined.

Tom Peck is right to draw attention to Johnson’s distasteful use of the war in Ukraine to bolster his own image and play to his supporter base. There is a sense that the war will soon cease to be useful to him and he will be moving on again. We are told that he is about to launch a re-election campaign that will ignore what is yet to be done and turn eye-catching attention to what will not be done.

When it comes to going beyond gestures and soundbites, Johnson has the attention span of a gadfly; an irritation, flitting from one thing to another while remaining a real and present danger to our nation’s health, wellbeing and security.

Graham Powell

Cirencester