Ordinary, decent Russians share the horror and revulsion we are feeling

“Russia is against war” was what they were chanting, and because I knew this to be true I felt this small but powerful surge of optimism. I know that ordinary, decent Russians share the revulsion and horror that we are feeling in Scotland and all over the world at the terror in Ukraine.

As appreciation of the enormity of what Putin has unleashed spreads, resistance inside Russia will also inevitably grow. The sea of suffering, pain and death which this man has unleashed on the people of Ukraine will eventually sweep him away. But how much pain and death must be suffered, how many children must cry before he goes?

READ MORE: Putin has demonstrated why smaller countries need to consider being in Nato

But “Russia is against war,” as is every sane person in every country. I know this to be true. But I have to especially remind myself of this, when I go with the Catholic Worker to Faslane on Ash Wednesday, as we do regularly.

We will go to publicly repent of our willingness to unleash suffering and death on an unimaginable scale, to out-Putin Putin. And because we have already consented to this in our hearts, we have already done so. Hence the need for repentance.

But repentance means metanoia, a change of heart. We must stop doing the evil we are daily doing.

We must stop Trident.

Brian Quail
Glasgow

“YE Hypocrites,” wrote Burns two-and-a-half centuries ago, referring to Britain’s political leaders congratulating themselves on a successful military venture. Well, the man would doubtless be sad, but probably not particularly surprised, to note that nothing much has changed over the years. Rank hypocrisy is still the default mode of those in command of our political and military systems today.

Russia, a large and powerful nation, has invaded the smaller and weaker nation of Ukraine. “How vile, how contemptible,” cry the virtuous leaders of the West, implying that they themselves would never, ever contemplate doing such a beastly thing. Not much! The British empire, of which Johnson, Rees-Mogg and the rest of the Tory cabal are so proud, was founded on the very process of invasion, occupation, brutal suppression and callous exploitation, where the “Pax Britannica” was “benevolently” imposed down the barrel of a musket or a Lee Enfield.

READ MORE: Kremlin says Liz Truss is the reason Russia's nuclear forces are on high alert

And, as for our Nato allies, perhaps the leaders of the USA, France and Germany and several other European nations should reflect upon their own history of “interventions”, invasions, occupations and colonisations before opening their mouths.

What Putin is doing is nothing short of abhorrent and rightly merits condemnation and sanction but for God’s sake, please spare us the “holier than thou” hypocrisy.

D Henderson
Bearsden

IN the name of humanity, send out mercy flights by any way possible into Europe – Berlin, Poland or wherever – to bring these refugees to Scotland (Scotland waits with ‘open arms’ as UK continues to stall on visas for Ukrainians, Feb 27)! Stuff visas! Putin is killing civilians, including children!

Rebekah Gronowski
via thenational.scot

ANOTHER excellent edition of the Sunday National brought three major issues together. Firstly, the Ukrainian tragedy makes it clear that the lust for power is a dangerous form of insanity which today carries the nuclear risk. Worldwide, democratic systems of government are failing – look no further than Westminster. How do we “proles” deal with political and religious mania?

Two world wars gave Europe its first taste of democracy, now being undermined by puppets dancing to mega wealth. A World War Three is unthinkable. Secondly, climate change may go onto the back burner as the oil and gas giants see business as usual. Thirdly, and more insidious, The Ferret exposes the danger of antibiotic and chemical usage in sectors of the Scottish salmon farming industry. It could well speed up the growth of antimicrobial resistance as a major threat to global health in other areas. The pandemic surely teaches us the power of a virus to mutate and highlights the race to to keep up with it.

Scotland must step up its aim to become an independent nation where an uncorrupt democracy faces these critical issues with basic intelligence, not beholden to the secretive workings of Swift and its army of tax-evasion experts. A future dependent on the altruism of a wealthy few is not the solution.

Iain R Thomson
Strathglass

READ MORE: Antibiotic use in salmon farms increases by 50 times, Sepa figures show

NOT before time, The Ferret lifts the lid on the practices of the salmon farming industry. This product is a fish-shaped vehicle for antibiotics, lethal sea lie medicines, bleach, dye and omega additives and its perhaps time a contents label was provided for shoppers to make a judgement on whether or not to buy.

In the meantime it makes the argument very well for protecting the wild-capture fishery which has no additives whatsoever, is the original renewable resource and only requires us to prevent marine pollution and ensure sound management to ensure a healthy resource.

In a time of increasing insecurity and threats to food resilience, the grounds in which this wild-capture fish resource is harvested should be designated protected fishing areas. That these fishing grounds are sacrificed for other marine interests is surely short-sighted folly.

Fiona Matheson
via email