Zelenskywouldbe greatleaderforCanada
Jon Peter Christoff’s letter on supplying weapons to Ukraine is baffling (Herald, April 30).
Does Christoff think that it would be better if the west didn’t supply arms to Ukraine to help them resist Putin’s invasion? Is it OK for the Russians to use their abundant supply of armaments to conquer and pillage Ukraine and inflict widespread misery on a nation that only wants to remain free and independent?
Throughout the Cold War era and beyond, arms exports and the threat of nuclear war have been Russia’s primary influence in the world, although cheap oil and gas have been very useful in intimidating the Europeans. The Russian AK-47 assault rifle is the Big Mac of the Communist and terrorist world with an estimated 100 million copies served up with few strings attached.
Post-Soviet Russia remains a cheerless, miserable place. Their economic, political and social systems provide no models for emulation. There are no line-ups to move there. Even refugees avoid the place.
The Russian people should be pitied, having been successively exploited by the tsars, the communists, and now Putin’s dictatorship. Overall, the communists were the worst, which may even make Putin seem somewhat attractive in comparison.
The Ukrainian people are to be admired for their courage against Russian aggression, and they deserve our support in all possible ways, including the unrestricted supply of weapons to resist the invader.
Our Parliament has passed a resolution calling Russian actions in Ukraine genocide. Nice words, but without action it’s just another puff of hot air, like we’ve seen from the Pope and the UN. Putin only responds to military force. It’s obvious that we won’t fight Putin, so we ought to supply whatever weapons we have to Ukraine, and fast. We can buy more to replace them.
Some contrast. President Volodymyr Zelensky gives his people guns and tells them it’s to keep them free, while Justin Trudeau takes away people’s guns and tells them it’s to keep them safe. Zelensky’s policy is working. Trudeau’s is not.
Zelensky is a man for the times who has earned world-wide admiration and respect. He’s a worthy and inspirational leader who has united his nation and has made them strong and independent. It’s hard to avoid comparisons with Trudeau whose authoritarian policies have divided our nation and made us weak and dependent. Maybe when Zelensky is done saving his country we should invite him over to save ours.
John Thompson
Kaleden