Mindlessrhetoric

Kenny Macaskill's comments are a much-needed look beyond the rhetoric to the reality of the war in Ukraine (Perspective, 5 May).

When the Wall Street Journal publishes an article entitled “The US should show it can win a nuclear war” alarm bells should be ringing. The nuclear war some in the US would try to “win” would be fought, at least initially, in Europe.

The outlines of a settlement in Ukraine have been well understood for a long time. Ukraine's only viable future lies in neutrality, neither friend nor foe of Russia. Nato membership and nuclear missiles on the border of Russia, that could detonate in Moscow within five minutes of launch, will never be accepted by the Russians. Everyone knows how the US reacted to a comparable threat during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Until this threat is removed, Russia will not leave the Ukraine.

You would think that by now the US would have concluded that “regime change” is a somewhat flawed policy concept, but no, this time they are going for the big one. The fantasy of replacing Putin – which even if possible, would only lead to a more militaristic leader – is what is turning on Washington, and so the obvious solution is brushed aside in favour of fighting Russia to the last drop of Ukrainian blood.

As Mr Macaskill points out, the “victory” talked of here is merely a synonym for “carnage”. It is just a question of how much. The rhetoric from Washington would suggest they are comfortable with a long-term war in Europe, but of course, as all the grandstanding about the use of nuclear and biological weapons makes clear, it could escalate even beyond that.

To avoid this catastrophe, we must start by making it clear to our own leaders, who currently parrot the Washington line, that their mindless warmongering rhetoric must stop. JIM DALY

Edinburgh