Not the point

Surely the argument, used by Alex Salmond and his (very few) apologists, that appearing on Russian TV channel RT is OK because lots of other politicians have appeared on it, is patently fatuous?

Is appearing on the channel the same thing as actually workingforapropagandaarm of the brutal Putin regime? The distinction is surely crucial. It’s sadly typical of Salmond’s way of promoting his viewpoint – twisting the argument by answering a question that wasn’t asked. No one said that appearing as a guest of a TV host who works for a state-backed Russian TV channel is wrong because it legitimises the regime. What we are all saying is that actually promoting the channel by working for it surely does. To prove that Mr Salmond is not providing legitimacy to the Kremlin regime, he should invite Marina Litvinenko, or perhaps a Ukranian or Georgian representative whose country has been invaded by the Russian Army. Or perhaps a Dutch family who lost loved ones when Russian-backed rebels shot down a Malaysian airliner.

BRIAN CARSON

Belmont Gardens, Edinburgh

Alex Salmond has some gall, as he writes to the UK Prime Minister protesting that a Downing Street source saying he should “reconsider” his “curious decision” to host his new show on the Russian government backed RT channel was some kind of attack on freedom of speech (“Salmond writes to May over RT”, 17 November). RT, of course, shows no such sensibilities in denying any criticism of Mr Putin and his government. If only the worst that might befall any reporter in Russia speaking truth to power was such a mildly worded suggestion as that coming from Downing Street. Instead a shocking number have paid with their lives.

Meanwhile, given Scotland’s First Minister also made clear she thought Mr Salmond was misguided in choosing RT for his new show, let us hope he remembered to send a similar missive of outrage to Nicola Sturgeon.

KEITH HOWELL

White Moss West Linton, Peeblesshire