Simon Jenkins, describing his horror at our new prime minister considering whether to allow Ukraine to use British missiles for strikes deep into Russia, is a rare voice of reason in a chorus of relentless escalation (It’s worrying to see the prime minister cheerleading for war. Will Ukraine turn into Starmer’s Iraq?, 15 July). Western leaders across the board seem to have forgotten the promises made to Mikhail Gorbachev more than 30 years ago, assuring him of our commitment to not extend the borders of Nato into the old Soviet bloc.
Since then, we have seen numerous former Soviet states join Nato, leaving Russia encircled to the west, with hostile missiles, troops, tanks and planes now pointing in its direction from its own backyard. Russian discomfort at this situation over the past 20 years has been ignored, and it is my belief that the invasion of Ukraine was entirely due to the fear that Ukraine too would be accepted into the Nato alliance.
There doesn’t seem to be a single western leader or military strategist who is seeking to understand the Russian position; they seem to think it’s perfectly acceptable for Nato to extend its sphere of influence into Russia’s back garden.
Those who forget the lessons of history are destined to repeat its mistakes. Ironically, our best hope of averting the third world war may turn out to be the election of Donald Trump. He is a narcissistic maniac, but he would appear to be the only leader who appreciates the danger of this new era of western imperialism. He alone understands the futility of pouring billions into a war that Ukraine cannot win without Nato troops on the ground and planes in the sky. Nato appears to have a severe case of groupthink; meanwhile, the survival of human civilisation is in grave danger.
Jonathan Gorse
Milland, West Sussex
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