West has every right to help brave Ukraine

Peter Hitchens is pushing the Moscow line that there should be an immediate compromise in peace talks to let the Russians hold on to the Ukrainian lands they have already taken.

This is obviously unacceptable to Ukraine. Does Mr Hitchens not understand that Ukraine has every right to expel Russians from their territory, and that the democracies in the West have every right to supply effective weapons to courageously help brave Ukraine to achieve this aim?

Robin Sanderson, Oxford

I hope that anyone who read Peter Hitchens’s column last week about the West supplying tanks to Ukraine would have been shaken by his apocalyptic warning.

As a former correspondent in both Moscow and Washington, he surely has real insight into Russian and American politics.

Such is the seriousness of his message that I think he should be given the opportunity to address Parliament. As he rightly asks, how many of our MPs have any real understanding of the situation between Ukraine and Russia?

P. Mulcaster, Worksop

We are aware of Peter Hitchens’s knowledge of Russia and Ukraine. The West has certainly provoked Russia since the Berlin Wall came down, and Russia is understandably nervous of having Nato on its doorstep. However, Mr Hitchens surely realises that, because of the policy of appeasement, Russia was able to illegally take over Sevastopol earlier.

It is all very well analysing the situation, but this is a war in Europe where we have to take sides.

Michael Aldridge, Cleethorpes

Peter Hitchens yet again urges compromise between Russia and Ukraine.

So, what sort of compromise does he think might be acceptable to both governments, and, even more importantly, to the people of Ukraine?

They are the ones who are being subjected to regular attacks by the Russians, and it is unlikely, I think, that they would be happy that their homes would be transferred to Russia as part of any such compromise.

John Duffield, Loughton, Essex

I feel I must challenge Peter Hitchens’s view on the conflict in Ukraine.

The tanks in question are required to eject Russian forces only from the territory of Ukraine.

To parade them in Moscow would require an army of occupation of about one million men, which would be subject to constant sabotage and harassment, which would clearly be untenable.

As for the nuclear option, if Europe were to suffer from that type of attack, I wonder how China would feel about the loss of such a lucrative market?

B. Clare, Welling, London