The picture is bleak for Ukraine and there’s not much Britain can do to help - Yorkshire Post Letters

A few weeks ago, Mr Patrick Mercer in another cogent item (November 30) on Ukraine and the progress of the war there, questions the actions and decisions of the British government, prolonging the conflict, while incapable of doing much to stem the Russian advances.

Mr Mercer paints a bleak picture for Ukraine and its people, it will be bleaker after January 20, 2025, when Donald Trump is inaugurated as America's 47th President.

Mr. Mercer's comments on Ukraine and how to help them overcome the Russian invaders, leads in my opinion to question what, if anything, of substance this country can do. Yes, the huge sums of Russian funds held here and in Europe could be handed over to Ukraine.

Events in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and now Syria clearly demonstrate how unstable the world as we know it now is. The current state of the armed forces here, and it is not a comfortable one, needs addressing and upgrading, and why has such occurred, the answer I suggest is the Conservative election win?

The subsequent and frequent cuts, cuts and more cuts in the defence budget by Cameron, Osborne and Hammond have made the armed forces incapable of any prolonged engagements or dealing with hostile elements, the army cut to lowest in number for decades, the navy short of frigates and destroyers, unable to fully supply aircraft for the two carriers without 'borrowing' some from the US Marines.

The navy has not got the numbers of ships to make up a full CSG (Carrier Strike Group) to operate in a combat area. Orders for new ships and upgrading of others cancelled or deferred, ships mothballed or sold off, will one of the carriers be mothballed?

The RAF has suffered too, numbers slashed, orders for new aircraft cancelled, training exercises knocked back

Push forward your clocks to January 21, 2025, when Donald Trump has taken his seat in the White House and has started to lay out his priorities and orders, I suggest that near the top will be to cut off any more support for Ukraine, in other words a victory for Vladimir Putin.

Will Europeans then be willing to fund and supply the weapons Ukraine will need to fight on, most probably no?

A peace on Putin dictated terms would leave him free to lean on the Baltic States, Poland and other former Soviet Union members

While thinking of the first decisions and actions that Donald Trump will decide on I imagine that starting the round up and deporting of illegal immigrants will not long be delayed, think of his many campaign pledges, going after those he considers the ‘enemy within’ especially in the State Department and the Justice Department next.

Panic stations are common in both, large scale sackings and resignations expected.

Picture the howls and weeping in the US when the deportations start, and the same abroad, in the BBC, Guardian, the Labour party, the Lib Dems, Church of England, what do you imagine the Trump reaction would be, a shrug of the shoulders.

DT is not noted for heeding what outsiders think?