It’s folly seeing Russia as a victim of the West

SIR – Piers Paul Read’s dismissal (Letters, October 6) of the countries of Eastern Europe as hostages to Russian resentment was disgraceful and patronising.

Russia has no right to complain that Nato “reneged on an assurance that it would not expand”. No such treaties were signed, formally or informally.

Free, independent, sovereign countries such as Poland or the Baltic states may join whatever international organisations they wish. If Russia is aggrieved by them joining Nato it should reflect on the consequences of inflicting decades of occupation and exploitation on these former Iron Curtain nations, and why they now judge that Nato offers them a better deal.

Accusations that Nato is hemming in “Russia’s borders” are also risible. Russia’s borders and shores are 36,000 miles long, and Nato members run alongside for about 1,000 miles. Some “encirclement”.

Mr Read’s attitude is exactly that of the useful idiots who have long been stooges for Russian imperialism, which continues today with wars in the Donbass and Georgia. Robert Frazer

Salford, Lancashire

SIR – Vladimir Putin’s Russia is now a pariah state. So why is it still a permanent member of the Security Council of the UN? Is there not some mechanism whereby the UN could downgrade Russia?

A nation that has sponsored the doping of its athletes, downed a civil aircraft killing close to 300, annexed another nation’s territory (Crimea) and occupied its eastern portion, helped President Assad of Syria to bomb his own people with chemicals, launched cyber-attacks on the West, and routinely vetoed all attempts to stamp on terrorism and bring some security and normality to the world deserves to be supplanted.

Surely a majority of the other nations of the UN can see this? Richard Snailham

Windsor, Berkshire