West timid in the face of an autocrat like Putin

Frank Olsson (Letters, March 6) is correct in stating that war is always a failure. However, his suggestion that a declaration of Ukrainian neutrality would have avoided the Russian invasion misses the point that Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that the breakup of the USSR ‘‘was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century’’. In that context, the overt Russian support of the breakaway regions in the eastern part of the Ukraine was the first step in reestablishing control over Ukraine, and the carefully orchestrated steps since, which led up to invasion, indicate that nothing other than a Russianleaning government in Kyiv would be acceptable.

In the same issue of the Sunday Star-Times, the open letter from Anastasiya Gutorova to our prime minister illustrates just how limited the New Zealand Government’s response has been to the unfolding crisis.

Essentially the West encouraged Ukraine to pursue a path of independence and democracy, but when Russia found that unacceptable and invaded, the West is too timid to deal with it the only way an autocrat like Putin would understand. Limited hands-off sanctions will have minimal effect in terms of limiting Putin’s attack on the Ukraine and be of no benefit to the millions of Ukrainians being bombed in their homes by the Russian military machine.

Roger Fraser, Martinborough

I agree with Olsson when he writes that moving US weapons and military into Ukraine, were it to become a Nato member, would be seen as a threat to Russia’s security.

Even if Russia was not ruled by a corrupt dictator like Putin they would be concerned about Ukraine being a member of Nato. Does anyone really believe that the US would not have something to say if, for example, Mexico was to form a military alliance with a US adversary?

For the past 200 years America has operated under the Monroe Doctrine enforcing the premise that, as the dominant power in the western hemisphere, it has the right to intervene against any country that might threaten its alleged interests. Under this doctrine the US has undermined and overthrown at least a dozen governments. In 1962 it came to the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union in response to the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

What we seem to forget is the fact that 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear weapons today are controlled by Russia and the US.

The present confrontation between the two world nuclear powers, in the Ukraine, threatens the entire world.

Jim Friel, Wellington

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is reputed to have written in his diary after his attack on Pearl Harbour, something like ‘‘We have woken a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve’’.

Perhaps it’s a myth, but I have a feeling that the Putin regime has made a similar mistake to Imperial Japan’s.

The invasion of Ukraine is actually lifting the fog of selfdoubt and confusion which has troubled the Western democracies for at least a decade.

They are now becoming refocussed, and acting much more in unity once again.

In that, there is strength. Whatever happens in the next few days and weeks, Ukraine will never accept slavery.

Barry Watkin, Auckland