France and Germany are letting Putin hold the world to ransom

sir – “The EU will never recover from its Ukraine shame,” was the heading on Camilla Tominey’s Comment article (May 28). Unfortunately, duplicitous countries spouting stirring rhetoric swiftly move on when a new crisis emerges. Afghanistan, for example, is now barely mentioned.

Equally prevalent is the tendency to live in parallel universes, of which Russia is not the only proponent, with the West proclaiming that Ukraine not only can, but already is, winning the war, that Vladimir Putin has been humiliated, and, as Miss Tominey reports, that this is due largely to the magnificent support provided by the West.

Alongside this is the contradictory, conceited delusion indulged by those two toadies, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, of exhorting Mr Putin to halt his highly successful campaign of incapacitating Ukraine’s viability as an independent nation, as though they have the slightest influence on the wily and ruthless Russian president.

The whole West will be humiliated when it becomes clear that Mr Putin has won a strategic advantage to hold the world to ransom, neutralised his productive neighbour’s capacity to trade, and sees no reason to deviate from his practice of lying through his teeth in any forum, ad infinitum.

AMS Hutton-wilson

Evercreech, Somerset

sir – A few weeks ago you published a letter from me calling for Germany to be sanctioned for failure to deliver tanks to Ukraine. Since then the Germans agreed to send tanks… but subsequently failed to do so.

Nato must uplift these tanks and send them to Ukraine or sanction Germany until it toes the line.

Sir Gavin Gilbey Bt

Dornoch, Sutherland

sir – The Russian ambassador says that Russia will not use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but it wasn’t long ago that his boss repeatedly said he had no intention of invading Ukraine. Bryan Peak

Knutsford, Cheshire sir – It is too late for appeasement to deter Russia in Ukraine. Decisive measures are needed, such as naval escorts for shipping to and from Odesa to overcome the Russian blockade.

The Western powers are lacking leadership. Mr Putin must be stopped sooner rather than later.

The president of Ukraine should be advised to make a final offer in peace negotiations with Russia on the basis that, without an immediate ceasefire, Ukraine’s airspace will be declared a no-fly zone policed by Nato air forces and Ukraine will seek the authority of the general assembly of the UN to form a coalition to oppose Russia’s aggression in the name of humanity.

The nuclear deterrent is too important for maintaining world peace to allow Mr Putin to threaten the nuclear option. Nato must make clear that we would retaliate in kind.

A Third World War is inevitable if we do not stand up to Mr Putin and test the efficacy of the nuclear deterrent.