EU powerless to halt Putin war machine in Ukraine – Yorkshire Post Letters

I REFER to the letter from Albert Roberts about the 37.4 per cent who voted for Brexit must regret doing so now that ‘war has returned to Europe’ (The Yorkshire Post, February 28).

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I can assure Mr Roberts, as one of the 37.4 per cent, that I have no regrets at all about voting for Brexit and would do so again.

I would suggest that neither would the majority of those who voted who have benefited from the ending of the free movement of cheap labour and exporting of jobs to the EU that has suppressed pay and conditions of the lowest paid workers for the last 40-odd years.

Furthermore, why would we regret leaving the EU when the EU is still one of the few organisations funding Vladimir Putin’s war machine by its overreliance on Russian gas and oil? It’s strange that the much talked about sanctions don’t affect fuel payments via the Swift financial system. Lastly, I’m sure when President Emmanuel Macron realises his dream of a EU army Mr Roberts will be the first to join up.

From: Rod Smith, Grosmont.

AS Russia invaded an independent nation in a “special military operation” without invite or declaration of war, surely the European nations should provide facilities for Russian combatants who are prisoners of the Ukrainian army to be taken to the Netherlands to stand trial at the International Court as civilian Russian citizens who have illegally entered Ukraine and committed murder?

This should be done under Ukrainian law and the costs of the court and prison facilities should be paid for by sequestration of Russian funds from European banks. This would make the world aware that individuals will be held responsible for their actions – whether on their own or their state’s behalf.

Better to do this than let them be rescued by Russian troops. It brings home a strong warning not to interfere in other nations’ affairs, and also deprives Russia of those troops for many years. Their families would then be much more likely to become anti-Putin.

Better than Europe or Nato mounting their own “special military operation” in support of the Ukrainian government, which could trigger World War Three.

From: Roger Backhouse, Upper Poppleton, York.

EXCELLENT articles by Dame Angela Eagle (The Yorkshire Post, February 28) and Tom Tugendhat (February 26) about attitudes to President Putin. What a contrast with the former Conservative MP Patrick Mercer who muddies waters even when not openly sympathising with Russia.

Sadly Europe has parties sympathetic to Putin and our own Nigel Farage took to Twitter the day Putin announced hostilities against Ukraine. He parroted the Russian line of blaming the EU and Nato and did not criticise Putin’s aggression or show sympathy with Ukrainian people.

The EU is flawed (and I didn’t vote Remain), but he is absurd. In The Yorkshire Post last July, I pointed out that less than three per cent of intelligence work focused on hostile state activity like that by Russia. That country meddles in the West to weaken democracy. Hopefully we will now see a proper investigation.

From: David Nugent, Prague, Czech Republic.

RALPH Lennard (The Yorkshire Post, February 28) suggests not recognising Russian passports. What then happens to Russians married to UK subjects? Will they be given UK passports?

Mr Lennard refers to the Russian people as brainwashed. Does he not realise that thousands of Russians have been protesting, often at great danger to themselves, against Vladimir Putin for years?

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