The UK must be strong on Trump – and on Putin

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Now is the time for Keir Starmer to stand up for what is right during his visit to the USA (”Starmer facing pressure to be bold with Trump in Washington visit,” Friday 21 February). Let’s be honest and admit we have no special relationship with America under Trump. Nor should we strive for one. Trump is purely transactional, always looking for his next deal. Hustling for minerals from Ukraine and “real estate” in Gaza. In denial about the invasion by Putin of Ukraine and the war crimes being attributed to Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men were sanctioned by the UN for war crimes.

But Trump himself is no stranger to criminal indiscretions, now apparently forgotten, so why would he worry about his international buddies? Trump is trying to airbrush and rewrite history. We don’t need to cosy up to Trump or Putin. We need to stand up to bullies before they create more havoc.

We live in dangerous times with a demented Trump trying to pull the strings with his own puppet masters in the shadows.

Gordon Ronald

Radlett, Hertfordshire

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Why do most people refer to the conflict in Ukraine as a war? It is not. It is an unprovoked invasion by possibly the most infamous and untrustworthy dictator the world has ever seen.

It is time to stand against Putin and his supporters. If everyone stops cosying up to Putin and stops buying any Russian products, oil and gas then Ukraine can occupy all of its territory as a free and independent nation.

David Angus

Eaglescliffe, Stockton on Tees

Mixed messages

What a powerful leader from The Independent for the right to democracy in the world at the moment (”We will not be silent in the face of Trump’s assault on truth and democracy,” Friday 21 February). Someone needs to stand up for the ordinary people rather than governments cowering to Trump’s threats in case he retaliates with tariffs or other bullying tactics.

To demand a country that did not start a war give part of its minerals for payment of protection is a disgrace to the free world and contempt to a country’s freedom.

Thank God for The Independent’s front-page statement and let's hope other media have your bravery,

Paul Atkins

Burntwood, Staffordshire

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In its virtue-signalling on Trump, The Independent is not helping Ukraine. What is needed is skilled diplomacy based on an understanding of what is possible and who will help bring it about. Truth is a precious commodity, but lecturing those you negotiate with will hinder the diplomacy that is needed.

It might make you feel virtuous but it will be at the expense of the Ukrainians. The EU can afford to double its financial support, so Ukraine has a negotiating position without US funding. Diplomacy can accomplish peace if the requisite massaging of egos is taken into account.

Jon Hawksley

France

Food for thought

Surely food production should be classed as critical infrastructure to the nation and given special status so it can be protected for future generations (”The great British food shortage: Why your weekly shop is about to get worse,” Thursday 20 February).

It’s time for this government to have a rethink before it is too late.

Andrew Hardy

Little Downham, Cambridgeshire

Young talent must be able to succeed

I really empathised with Lisa Nandy’s piece (”Protests and boycotts are killing off the arts in Britain,” Friday 21 February). It’s great to see a culture minister who understands the contribution made by the wider arts industry to society in general and to the Exchequer in particular.

Now, can she tell our great drama and performing arts schools to drop the hearts-on-their-sleeves, virtue-signalling policies of pronouns, gender and alphabets+, and concentrate on excellence? Talent isn’t fairly distributed, that’s rather the point. Surely Charlotte Church, who sang for Rupert Murdoch’s marriage to Wendy Deng, at the age of 13, and Nish Kumar, who graduated from Durham University, understand that.

I just want to see talented youngsters, from whatever background, able to gain places in our wonderful theatre, music and art schools, and for her government to make it possible.

Chris King

London

We can’t let ’em have it

Trump’s “deal”, which has nothing to do with peace but everything to do with dollars, includes a condition that Ukraine grants rights to the US, as The Independent’s Alexander Butler reported yesterday (”Bully Trump tries to gag Zelensky: ‘Tone it down and take my deal’”, Friday 21 February), to “hundreds of billions of pounds worth of mineral reserves”. On what basis? Ukraine owes the US nothing, and nothing in Ukraine belongs to the US. This is the only thing that interests Trump. It should be highlighted, writ large, shouted from the rooftops. Naked greed.

Beryl Wall

London

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The past two weeks appear to have set a new definition to “Trumped-up charges”. “Trumped-up objectives” have also emerged under the guise of a “peace deal” being linked to Ukraine’s mineral deposits. Who will really benefit from such a deal, the American people or those with stakes in electric cars, AI, IT and space exploration? Also, naively letting Putin have what he wants regarding Ukraine and beyond in return for such a deal on paper is reminiscent of Chamberlain and the old saying, “Possession is nine-tenths of the law”.

Tony Shephard

Hethersett, Norfolk

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