Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a disastrous miscalculation and finds himself, as with all dictators, riding on the back of a Tiger that he cannot get off for fear it will eat him.

There is universal condemnation of his uncivilised and bestial conduct from the free nations of the world.

Looking back at history, a threat by Russia to install missiles in Cuba was defused by John F Kennedy who offered Krushchev a way of backing off with honour.

History has a way of repeating itself.

Surely Putin would grab at such a solution when he has painted himself into an intolerable position where genocide is his only option at the moment.

The after-effects for Russia are incalculable and for Putin whatever happens I suspect his days are numbered - as were Krushchev’s.

JA Whitmore, Orchard Paddock, Haxby

 

We must not forget about other refugees

I applaud Britain’s response to Putin’s violent assault on Ukraine.

Across our nation communities, businesses and individuals are sending supplies and money to relieve the country’s suffering.

The government, too, is now talking big about standing with Ukraine; it is sending defensive armaments and, belatedly, refugees from Ukraine will be welcomed with a relaxation of the harsh rules that previously applied.

Such humanity is welcomed.

But the UK has refugees applying for entry from other countries - Syria, Yemen, Kurdistan, Afghanistan – who are fleeing from wars which, like that in Ukraine, have killed many civilians, destroyed homes and ripped families apart.

These people are in as parlous a state as are the Ukrainian refugees and yet there are no signs that the British Home Office is showing them similar humanity.

Can you join me in demanding of our MPs that our government treats all refugees alike and abandons its proposed Nationality and Borders Bill which plans to criminalise refugees?

John Craven, Nether Poppleton, York