Can’t forget the bravery of the Russians against Putin’s brutal war

Ongoing safety and eventual release of Russians detained for protesting the war in Ukraineincluding state television host Marina Ovsyannikova, must be part of any agreement to end sanctions.

The heroism of the Russians who stood up against the genocidal regime in Ukraine must not be forgotten. They are also victims of this cruel war.

Chris Fitzpatrick

Terenure, Dublin 6

Keyboard warriors look from the comfort of the ditch

In his March 14 letter, Hugh McDermott criticized Western nations for “fearing the swindler Vladimir Putin”.

Apparently, your average Westerner lacks the bravery of a warrior of men like Hugh.

My question to Hugh is: will he join the Ukrainian foreign corps? Does he intend to go to the front lines and display the abundance of courage he clearly has?

Seamus Hanratty

Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

War is not about Nato, but about the evil spoils of the Russians

Is Redmond O’Hanlon living in a dream world (‘The West must stop encouraging a war Ukraine can never win’, LettersMarch 15)?

The war in Ukraine has nothing to do with Nato expansion. It involved money, autocracy and the discovery of large amounts of natural gas off the coast of Crimea.

Putin and his associates do not want a democracy on Russia’s doorstep because democracy, when it spreads, can spread to Russia.

The loot stolen by Putin and his oligarchs would then be vulnerable to investigation and possibly seized by the Russian state. Putin could go to jail or worse. That is the core of the problem.

With more than 6,000 nuclear missiles at his disposal, Putin is not afraid of the West. In fact, all of his ill-gotten gains are invested in the West.

Rory O’Connor

Kenmare, Co Kerry

Yes, Kay, the British people are completely behind…

Two Ukrainian women, now in Dublin, appeared on Sky News yesterday, to thank the Irish public for their support in getting them to Ireland, after they argued about returning to Ukraine – even though they had spent four terrible days escaping to Poland.

At the end of their interview on Sky News, presenter Kay Burley said: “You know girls, I’m glad you’re safe and what a horrible journey you’ve had, but hopefully you can start building a new life in Dublin safe knowing that the British people are fully behind you. ”

Em, I think what she means is that the British people are falling behind in terms of supporting refugees.

In any case, we Irish are fully behind the British for allowing us to support the Ukrainians!

David O’Reilly

Eyre Suare, Galway

Destroying cultural wealth must be treated as a war crime

The possibility of cultural and religious obliteration in Ukraine is getting worse.

I have visited the country a few times and am fascinated by its ancient monuments, monasteries, unique churches and cultural heritage.

Their deliberate destruction is war crimes, crimes against humanity, and cultural and religious genocide. Sadly, warfare tactics aimed at dividing societies and loosening their sacred attachment to ancestral homelands are still not recognized in international law.

It is time to recognize such attacks under international law as inseparable from attacks on human life and dignity.

Dr. Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London, United Kingdom

Alleviate Omicron’s fear, at least until the war is over

Although Covid 19 has not gone away, we must not let it return to our negative consciousness. We have learned to live with Covid 19 and its many variants through a very successful vaccine program. The scars of the battle with Covid-19 are still there to remind us not to let complacency appear.

Your editorial correctly reported that hospitalizations with the virus had reached 1,000 but suggested that this is a bleak statistic that is fueling a negative narrative.

A significant number of people who are hospitalized have other conditions that are the main reason they are hospitalized.

There’s been a conspicuous feeling in recent days that Omicron is mentioned again, perhaps to scare away St Patricks Day celebrations.

So let’s ease Omicron’s anxiety a bit, at least until we put Putin to bed.

Aidan Roddy

Cabinteely, Dublin 18