Yorkshire’s solidarity with Ukraine as Europe pays a heavy price for appeasement of Vladimir Putin – The Yorkshire Post says

OUR solidarity with all Ukrainians this weekend is tempered by a grim realisation that their besieged homeland is only just at the start of a bloody battle for its existence.
By YP Comment
Published 26th Feb 2022, 05:45 BST
Updated 26th Feb 2022, 07:45 BST
Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine: World must act now or risk paying an even higher price for Putin’s wars – Tom Tugendhat

These are desperate days for Europe – arguably the most troubling since the Second World War – after Ukraine, a sovereign state, was invaded by Russian forces early on Thursday.

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Ukraine: Time for Britain to end ‘corrosive addiction to Russian money’, writes top former NATO diplomat David Hobbs

Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Protesters outside the Russian Embassy in west London, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And the fear is Russia’s invasion, despite the heroism of resistance of fighters, will continue – the eyes of the world are now on the capital city Kyiv – until the West imposes economic and trade sanctions which are so punitive that they do force President Vladimir Putin to blink.

Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is Europe’s darkest hour since Second World War – Andrew Vine

The best hope, and those words are written advisedly, is that the current world order – Nato, the G7 and European Union – do now realise their collective error in appeasing President Putin to such an extent that they only served to empower his imperialist ambitions.

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Nearly two decades after President Putin was feted in 2003 by, amongst others, the Queen and Tony Blair when he became the first Russian leader to be afforded a state visit to Britain in 125 years, the West faces this crisis from a position of extreme diplomatic weakness.

A protester outside the Russian Embassy in London where a vigial has been held following this week's invasion of Ukraine.A protester outside the Russian Embassy in London where a vigial has been held following this week's invasion of Ukraine.
A protester outside the Russian Embassy in London where a vigial has been held following this week's invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the protestations of global leaders, their responses to more recent world events have been defined by a lack of unity which has played into the hands of post-Cold War dictators like President Putin who view disunity as a strength.

And while Boris Johnson’s rallying call to Parliament, and portrayal of Russia as “an expansionist power...trying to redraw the map of Europe in blood and conquer an independent state by force of arms” was Churchillian-esque oratory, the Prime Minister’s challenge is persuading his fellow leaders to turn stirring rhetoric into affirmative action that both protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and ends President Putin’s tyranny.

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Related topics:Vladimir PutinUkraineYorkshire PostEurope

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