Letters: Don't let indy navel-gazing distract from Putin's horrors

What kind of mindset can that be – navel-gazing about a timeline while the rest of the world focuses on Russia, Ukraine and how to prevent more human suffering, and a (final) world war?

Don’t we have enough international disgrace already, from a UK Government compromised by decades of corrupt Russian money-laundering through the City of London, from its “hostile environment” policies towards refugees, from its cynical Brexit lies? That same verbally incontinent Prime Minister has just horrifically compared Ukraine’s fight for its life to his Brexit, so that on this day, having aroused international revulsion, he has caused the UK to be excluded from a European summit on Ukraine.

Of course I believe the timing of a referendum on Scottish independence takes second place for most people in Scotland just now, while we try to counteract the shameful behaviour of Westminster towards Ukraine and all refugees.

The ghastly motivation of that “poll” however – and the rotten aftermath – has just confirmed how desperately Scotland needs her own voice; Europe and the rest of the world would surely be very glad of it too.

Frances McKie, Evanton.

* DR Jonathan Eyal thinks sidelining democracy in Scotland will displease and deter Vladimir Putin from his machinations: this after President Putin was “recruited” by David Cameron in 2014.

I doubt Scotland looms large in Mr Putin’s calculations, when he has already, inexplicably, elected to make Russia a pariah state. Independence for Scotland will hardly render the “rump UK” much weaker, given there would certainly be a negotiated short-term accommodation for Trident.

The Union has been a disaster, Scotland having been stripped of its commercial/industrial assets; its population and economy stagnant for a century. Other than Trident, Scotland retains no military presence of any strategic value.

Dr Eyal should yoke his enviable intellectual powers to the task of guessing what Mr Putin’s next play, or endgame is. One thing is certain – it has zero relevance to Scotland’s democratic future.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

CURRENCY NOT A PROBLEM FOR SCOTLAND

JILL Stephenson (Letters, March 22) is in a time warp over currency in an independent Scotland.

Several European countries have created and launched a new currency quickly and effectively, under far more difficult circumstances than would be the case with Scotland leaving the UK. Establishing a central bank, to manage the new currency, is a task that many other countries have managed successfully and sometimes even before they are fully independent.

Every country in the world uses its own currency, or one tied to a fully-convertible counter, and finds no trouble in doing so. In an independent Scotland our citizens would use whatever currency was accepted in shops, bars, online shopping, investments and tax payments. Like some other countries, Scotland could even run multiple currencies, as the technology is there to handle multicurrency transactions. Banks are perfectly capable of issuing multicurrency accounts.

As one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, Scotland will choose the currency option best suited to our needs, but in a situation like the Covid-19 pandemic, having one’s own independent currency would have allowed Scotland to borrow and continue with widescale testing while supporting the economy without having to beg the UK to borrow on our behalf.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh.

OUR NATION IS TOTALLY DIVIDED

AS we approach 15 years of SNP rule in Scotland and with local elections in May, it is worth considering what has happened in Scotland over these years. Unfortunately it is a reflection that is deeply troubling for our nation.

We are governed by a political party with a single mission and focus to the detriment of all else, as demonstrated by a list too long to describe in full. Some of these failures are hugely impactful on the everyday lives of voters – in education, health, transport and the economy. Year after year we are promised that things will get better but we have higher taxes, quangos everywhere and a Government bereft of ideas save that independence will cure all our ills.

However, the most disappointing and, yes, hurtful result of this last 15 years of SNP rule is how, as a once proud and indeed global nation, we have become completely divided, insular and look to blame all our ills on someone else. A grievance culture is alive and well in our nation. We now have divided families, friends and colleagues to a degree that one questions whether that division can ever be healed regardless of whether another independence referendum is held.

The conceit and arrogance demonstrated on a daily basis by this utterly incompetent Government must stop. The only way to show our contempt is to give the SNP a very bloody nose in the May local elections.

Richard Allison, Edinburgh.

NATO SHOULD MAKE PUTIN THINK

NATO’s stance of ruling out any intervention in Ukraine makes Vladimir Putin believe he can get off with anything if he doesn’t attack Nato members. This could lead to him continuing to flatten Ukrainian cities and annexing the whole of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. He might then move against Georgia and Moldova, both outside Nato and already containing Russian-backed separatist enclaves and troops. These conquests might let Russia build up its economy and military to a level where it and China could challenge Nato.

Sanctions aren’t guaranteed to work. North Korea has been under draconian sanctions intended to stop its nuclear weapons programme for decades. Yet it’s built an estimated 40 to 50 warheads, with capability to make seven more annually.

Nato should change its publicly-stated position to considering its options in Ukraine. And make it clear the reasons include war crimes like indiscriminate rocket fire and targeting of civilians; Russian forces not allowing civilians to escape to EU countries, and not allowing aid, food and water into cities they are besieging; plus the lack of a negotiated peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after a month of war.

This could put enough doubt in President Putin’s mind to make him agree a negotiated peace that he could sell as victory to the Russian public by getting Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, and a neutral Ukraine, but leaving it an independent country with an elected government.

Nato should also warn any use of tactical nuclear weapons would have military consequences.

But Volodymyr Zelenskyy should also offer to lift the suspension of Ukrainian parties which back joining a trade bloc with Russia rather than the EU as part of any peace deal. If President Putin thinks no government can be elected backing this policy in Ukraine, a peace deal is less likely.

Duncan McFarlane, Carluke.

* I THOUGHT everyone was entitled to a fair trial under our ever so fair democratic values.

So how would Vladimir Putin fare under a Special War Crimes Court, such as proposed by Gordon Brown and others?

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, no less, and Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK, and many other leaders under the influence of the US, of course, have already declared that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal. No need for a trial, then.

Liz Truss, to her credit, refused to call President Putin a “war criminal”. She said: “I’ll leave that to a court to decide.”

What chance is there that this man would ever get a fair trial? In such a court, zilch.

J Moir, Aberdeen.

Read more: Sunak must come to the aid of a desperate nation