I have been a strong supporter of the present and previous government policy that the UK should not declare war on Russia or be dragged into the war in Ukraine. I have supported NATO making it clear it will not send troops or fire weapons into Ukraine or Russia and will not let Ukraine join NATO all the time it is in dispute with or at war with Russia.
Because I do not wish to see UK lives at risk over this conflict I have not presumed to add my voice to those telling the combatants what to do.Like most people in the West I condemn the Russian invasion and especially the Russian tactics that include killing civilians, destroying homes, hospitals and other civilian facilities.
I have also been critical of the EU’s role in the removal of a more pro Russia elected President of Ukraine in 2014 to tilt Ukrainian policy to the EU and to weaken links with Russia which led to the Russian seizure of Crimea. That event does not excuse Russia’s war but is important context when considering how to end the conflict. What to us is a war of Russian expansion is to Russia a war of EU expansion, which they think could lead on to Ukrainian membership of NATO.
It is difficult to see how this long and bitter war can be brought to an end. The EU long on pro war rhetoric fails to impose wide ranging sanctions and is still buying Russian gas to help pay for the Russian troops. The EU has been slow to offer sufficient weapons and other support and has sought to rely on US provision in many crucial areas. The US has never been as committed. President Biden helped bring on the invasion by implying Russia might get away with a “minor incursion”, whilst President Trump has always argued Europe should lead the response as it is another European war.
The EU has offered plenty of verbal support to Ukraine to prolong the war. It now needs to offer effective support to help Ukraine liberate some territory. The UK should not get more involved as this is primarily an EU interest as Ukraine is a candidate member and the EU has strong views on the settlement of its eastern borders. The UK has no border at risk. France with strong views on the war and a leading EU member could take over some of the burden of supplying free weapons from us, as her contribution has been a lot smaller. According to BBC figures the UK has provided three times as much weaponry as France, and the US 18 times as much as France in cash terms.
August 17, 2025
I do not doubt the sincerity of Trump in wishing to end this conflict. I have no respect for the duplicity displayed by the EU that led to the outbreak, and then the low level piecemeal approach to supporting Ukraine. As you highlight the EU has stupidly made itself dependent on Russia for fuel. It only works because Russia needs the income.
I am content that that part of Ukraine which is russian speaking and desires to be russian should be so. It is important that Ukraine has an unhindered outlet to the Black Sea. It is equally important that Russia retreats to its own borders where they have occupied ukrainian speaking territory. Historically the USA does not financially support anyone cost free. In this case they need to develope a trading relationship with Ukraine that is of mutual and equal benefit to both sides of any deal. It also needs to be backed by the USA with a level of military deterence that deters future conflict. Best that NATO or the EU do not get involved, but that both the UK and EU revert to their original agricultural trading roles.
Thosse are my thoughts without the benefit of being privy to anything Trump and Putin may have agreed.
August 17, 2025
@ Agricola. I agree, and would add that neither Putin or Starmer are to be trusted.
August 17, 2025
Boris Johnson encouraged Ukraine to fight on when a resolution to the conflict was imminent.
We should not have got involved in the first place.
August 17, 2025
Correct, and my opinion as well.
I certainly don’t want the UK to get further involved by supplying Ukraine with ongoing military support when, thanks to Trump, peace breaks out.
August 17, 2025
The problem is john, our tin pot PM likes to swagger about in the international stage with his stodge mate Macron pretending to be relevant.
He will be quick to offer British boots on the ground as part of a peacekeeping force although this will ne rejected by Putin
As with all despots 2TK would love a war to distract from the excrement show at home. Probably giving him more excuses to clamp down on free speech because of national security.
This ceasefire is going nowhere because Russia is winning.
August 17, 2025
We are among the hand-wringers, let’s be honest.
1. Is it better for the UK if Ukraine is part of Russia or an independent nation?
2. If Russia takes Ukraine, will that be end of Putin’s aggression?
3. What will it take to stop Putin?
This is a 19th century war and is being fought in that manner (despite the new tech.); that is beyond stupid. The way to win is economic, that requires ALL trade counter-parties of the aggressor to be of the same mind. Failed economies can’t wage war. There’s the solution.
August 17, 2025
@Peter Wood. I’d answer as follows:
1. Part of Russia. Firstly, the ethnic Ukranians would be better treated than the ethnic Russians are now. Look at the treatment of minorities in Russia. Post-Soviet era its a pretty good record. Secondly, as an independent nation, NATO would be tempted to expand into Ukraine and force a crisis with Russia.
Realistically though, that’s not the choice. A Ukraine divided along ethnic lines with a bar on NATO membership is the best option for everyone.
2. Yes. Though he’s never said he will take all of Ukraine. He’s been open with his (limited) war aims.
3. Honesty by the West. If they tell Russia they won’t expand NATO “an inch to the east”, they need to keep their promise. Russia has more reason to distrust us, than we do them.
August 17, 2025
There was an economic war.
Russia won.
August 17, 2025
Russia has won?
Then why the continued fighting…..
August 17, 2025
Russia won the economic war. The collective west has to buy energy from them via 3rd parties who ad a whacking surcharge.
The 19th Sanctions package was announced today – why if the previous 18 had succeeded?
There is still a bit of fighting (messages from the Ukrainian front lines to Zelensky are very interesting to read, they think he is ‘misinformed’) because the collective west supplies weapons and personnel to operate them, and Ukraine are now conscripting 60 year olds, they have run out of younger men.
August 17, 2025
@Peter Wood – but the EU can’t survive without Russian energy
August 17, 2025
We should avoid getting involved with foreign wars.
We need armed personell back here, especially as our borders need to be protected
August 17, 2025
Our High Streets need to be protected, our schools need to be protected.
August 17, 2025
Eventually time and nature will catch up with Putin, and those Brits who supported Zelensky, such as Boris Johnson and the way he supported him, will go down well in that in history.
The opposite to the shameful way Blair will go down in history for supporting the US wars in Afghan and then Iraq post 9/11.
August 17, 2025
Why does no UK or EU politician tell the full story of the Ukraine War and how it started ? Sir John you have at least mention 2014 but highly watered down. It was a bloody uprising and civil war between “pure” Ukrainians and ethnic Russian Ukrainians living in the East and in Crimea. The USSR took Crimea away from Russia in 1965 ( from memory) . When the leader of the USSR happened to be Ukrainian. This was not a democractic vote by the people.
As keiv was bombing it’s own citizens ,who were Russian, Moscow got involved defending them which after 7 years prompted a full scale invasion.
Technically illegal of course. But that has never stopped the West invading countrys. Then there was a vote by the people in this part of Ukraine and Crimea to become part of Russia. The majority voted to be part of Russia.
Of course this war and bloody uprising would never have occurred if the West had allowed the region to be self-governing but still in Ukraine.
Perhaps Trump if not inherently biased against Russia as the rest of the Western Political class / club and Media are
August 17, 2025
All on the EU’s list of “inconvenient truths.”
August 17, 2025
Well said, Mr John Mcdonald – and let’s add Minsk I and II as well, ‘treaties about which Ms Merkel later said they were only meant to give the Ukraine time to arm up.
It is extremely strange that the twelve years (before 2022) of struggle by the russian-speaking people in the Donbas has completely vanished from the public discourse which otherwise ‘celebrates’ any ‘uprising’ of ethnic minorities anywhere in the world, e.g Catalonia …
As for why and how actual Nazis can be regarded as ‘good’ by our ‘elites’ while at the same time they label and condemn thus anyone who doesn’t sing from the same red-green song sheet: I really would like to know.
Btw – if wanting to keep speaking russian and keeping books in the russian language is such a heinous crime – in the Ukraine as well as sadly now in the Baltic states – then why do we support bilingualism in Wales?
I better stop here …
August 17, 2025
Well said. The Russian speakers are a MiNORITY in Ukraine, the ‘underdogs’ – why did this morally superior government in the U.K. not intervene in their favour?
Or are we all agreed that what happened yesterday is history and should be expunged? Putin thinks the causes of the war need to be removed so that there is no repeat. What a fool! Mr Gold of this website says so.
August 17, 2025
Well we’re more morally superior to Russian Parl because we are a democracy as opposed to a dictatorship. That’s an easy one.
Are you for real?!
August 18, 2025
The leader of Russia, Putin (President) got 87% of the vote – and is effectively a dictator.
In the EU, (President) Ursula von der Leyen got NO VOTES – because there were no elections.
In the UK, Labour got 20% of the available votes. Prime Minister Two-Tier claimed a landslide and is effectively acting as a dictator – reversing Brexit, paying £billions to give away British Sovereign Territory (and lying about it), is destroying Free Speech and is encouraging the jailing of political prisoners.
I think the days of claiming moral superiority because “we’re a democracy” are long gone.
August 17, 2025
Putin has used terrorism and war to justify his hold on his dictatorship right from the beginning 20 years ago or more. You are just appeasing and giving legitimacy to Putin and his three dark triads of psychopathy, narcissism and the other. He hates the UK. And so anyone who legitimises Putin in any way is undermining the long-term insecurity of the UK.
August 17, 2025
So has has the Government of Ukraine. Do your own reasearch not just take popular opinion as fact. Was supplying Gas underming?
I would worry more about the small boat invasion than one from Russia.
The UK will be in such a mess I don’t think Putin or indeed Russia would want the place.
August 17, 2025
‘So has has the Government of Ukraine. Do your own reasearch not just take popular opinion as fact. Was supplying Gas underming?’ – It is relative madness to make arguments of equivalency here between the two. This is also connected to the argument why we need a strong Israeli-like Dome, protecting the UK from hostile hyepronsic missiles and drones (from Russia, Iran, North Korea, terrorists and other hostile groups).
‘I would worry more about the small boat invasion than one from Russia’ – I worry greatly about mass immigration into this country. too. It’s not either / or. And I strongly agree, we have to be tough on this matter.
‘The UK will be in such a mess I don’t think Putin or indeed Russia would want the place’ – sorry, but that’s just a flippant comment.
August 17, 2025
In other words you cannot refute a single comment.
The government that hates the British sits in Westminster!
The Russian government gave my father a medal when his own refused to acknowledge that heroic effort that helped to defeat Germany (for taking part in the Russian run).
August 17, 2025
EdM. I doubt that he hates the UK in quite the same way as many Brits seem to hate him. He doesn’t seem prone to fits of violent emotions (just as well, for someone with a finger on the trigger of a nuclear arsenal).
He knows our governments are his enemy. Boris’ US-sanctioned intervention to scupper the peace deal agreed between Russian and Ukranian representatives a few years ago showed the UK is capable of making trouble on behalf of the US and EU. I think that’s how he sees us: an enemy with very limited military capability but forming part of the US’s internationalised soft power. If he can come to some accord with the US, we are irrelevant.
August 17, 2025
‘He doesn’t seem prone to fits of violent emotions’ – he doesn’t suffer from fits of hysteria. But you can be dangerous in other ways. Do you agree or not that he is a narcissist, psychopath and machiavellian?
If not then you have a very – sorry to say – shallow / amateurish understanding of psychology and what really motivates people.
August 17, 2025
ED M
Are you qualified to make assements of people from just seeing them on TV and from the views they expess in Sir John’s diary ?
Putin is a Politician. Just because a Politician sends people to war does not mean they are a psychopath, They maybe. The other attributes you mention can be found in many uk politicians in verying degrees although low level in most. You probably need a dash of them to do the job.
Putin is well received in what we like to call the developing world. I think he stands up for his country more than do our leadership.
And If you gave your real name I might value your views more on the psychology of people.
August 17, 2025
@John
‘Are you qualified to make assements of people from just seeing them on TV and from the views they expess in Sir John’s diary ?’ – You’re just being argumentative. I’m not going to debate that Putin isn’t a psychopath / narcissist and a Machiavellian. If you disagree, that’s your problem (although you also make it a problem for the rest of the UK as each person who appeases Putin makes life just that bit harder for politicians to handle the problem of Putin for the UK).
‘Putin is well received in what we like to call the developing world. I think he stands up for his country more than do our leadership’ – nonsense. He’s sent hundreds of Russian soldiers to their death for his own glory. And their families affected by this too. And the profits of Russia going to a small group of people and a small group of the middle classes. Most Russians have no real medical care for starters.
You’re not an asset to the UK on this matter. The opposite.
My name is Mickey Mouse. Who cares.
August 17, 2025
Of course he is not a narcissist, psychopath is or Machiavellian.
He is a man of action. He takes calculated risks to protect others.
This SMO has proceeded slowly because he wanted to protect Russian troops more than he wanted to ‘win in 2 weeks’ – which the west challenged him to do.
Now let’s look at British PMs …
August 17, 2025
This war isn’t about any of those things. It’s all about a despot in the Kremlin with no humanity, happy to sacrifice his own countrymen in the hundreds of thousands for his own evil purpose. That purpose is the extension of his influence.
August 17, 2025
@Dave Andrews. We have despots in power across the west that are perfectly happy to sacrifice our own citizens’ lives in pointless wars for their evil purpose. Some of them have, like Putin, been “elected” in likely-rigged elections, while others (eg Ursula vd Leyen) have not been elected at all.
Putin seems to differ in that he apparently cares about his nation and is willing to challenge the “established international order” (aka US hegemony) in order to protect its interests.
August 17, 2025
There is no such thing as an ‘ethnic Ukrainian’. Similarly there is no such thing as an ‘ethnic Palestinian’.
Zelensky, from Chasov Yar, is a Russian speaker. When he ‘became the President’ in a film he had to learn Ukrainian, Ukrainian has the same relationship to Russian as the Brum dialect has to English.
August 17, 2025
I think we need to remember that Ukraine was invaded. The 1930’s taught us that appeasement doesn’t work. Bullies need to be confronted and never be allowed to win.
Reply Declaring war on Russia is a bad idea. Are you willing to fight?
August 17, 2025
Fighting these days if not invaded is done by drone, hacking and economics.
If our government ditched net zero and committed our farmers to grow wheat I would be in favour of a complete economic blockade of Russia and let loose the dogs of hacking at GCHQ.
August 17, 2025
@Narrow shoulders. I’m all for ditching Net Zero. What would be the purpose of unleashing GCHQ? The immediate outcome would be us suffering from whatever Putin’s GCHQ could do to us in retaliation. Much better to buy Russian hydrocarbons (and trade with them more generally), to diversify our sources of energy.
August 17, 2025
many of our companies are already suffering from Russia hacking Wanderer.
August 17, 2025
Of course they are not. Has it not occurred to you that western Governments can’t get a single computer system to work?
Musk proved that when he sent his tech staff in and got a computer to produce some facts.
Nobody needs to sabotage western technical incompetence. The Energy Secretary does not even understand that blowing up the energy system and relying on wind means no energy.
August 17, 2025
Indeed appeasement doesn’t work. Would you be willing to fight if it was to save your own women from rape and your property from pillage? Won’t you then support those who are facing just this risk?
August 17, 2025
Dave we know that those in the U.K. who propose saving British women and children from rape and the country from pillage are jailed!
August 17, 2025
You mean, demonstrate at places like Epping and Canary Wharf, Dave?
August 17, 2025
No one disputes Ukraine was invaded. The reasons for the invasion are disputed.
People like to say this like the 1930 and Hitler without looking into the details of history. Russia thinks Ukriane has a Nazis Government. That is one of the issues.
August 17, 2025
Commits not commutes.
August 17, 2025
I am not privy to the details or local facts of what has and is actually happening in Ukraine, like most people I only get information from the media.
It worries me that the Uk appears to be getting more and more involved in this conflict, when other Countries much closer, seem much less interested, and much less involved, and those who are further away seem to ignore honouring any sanctions at all against Russia.
No country should invade another if it is not under threat, but was the United Nations not set up to help deal with these sort of problems before they escalate into war, or is this just another ineffective talking shop.
If Europe wants America to be the Worlds policeman and protector, then do not be surprised if you have to accept what they regard as a solution.
Just like the Covid vaccine crisis (remember the actions of France) we are seeing that when push comes to shove, the EU resolves back to “every Nation for itself”.
August 17, 2025
Recall the United Nations was set up with keen memories of the failure of its predecessor the League of Nations and so was not intended nor expected to work miracles in the face of belligerence by a Great Power.
August 17, 2025
To individual citizens attack by any state is the action of a ‘great power’.
We know that now with the armed wing of Social Security arresting 30 people a day for messaging the wrong thoughts.
August 17, 2025
The Ukraine war has been a disaster, inflicted on us because of NATO, EU and US meddling and expansion into Russia’s back yard. If China had tried something similar in Mexico, the result would have been much the same.
The main beneficiaries have been corrupt politicians, officials, mafia types and arms dealers and many economic migrants claiming refugee status in EU/UK.
Russia is not a serious threat to the UK or the EU. It hasn’t shown interest in capturing all of Ukraine, let alone western Europe, and it’s been unable to take all it wants even in Ukraine. It would surely never invade a nuclear armed State or collective.
We should keep out of what is a local civil war between Ukranians, combined with a regional proxy war between NATO and Russia. Any refugees should stay in the region (I’ve met quite a few who fly back to Ukraine for holidays).
August 17, 2025
Russia is a threat to the UK. They hold significant arsenals of nuclear weapons many of which trained on UK city targets. They conduct cyber attacks on the UK continually. They consistently fly bombers around our territory and they conduct executions on UK land.
August 17, 2025
@Dave Andrews. I’m sure some of our nukes are aimed at their cities. That’s the way it works.
As for the rest, I’m sure we do very similar things to them, either directly or more likely using proxies. They don’t seem to murder UK citizens in the UK, so some standards are kept. Meanwhile we are at war with them in Ukraine, with our military there on the ground (training, and what else?) and our intel being supplied, along with lots of money and weapons and diplomatic anti-peace manoeuvring.
None of it means they are an existential threat to us, or that we are to them. So we should talk, and come to an agreement to lower tensions between our two nations.
August 17, 2025
+1
August 17, 2025
Putin is a vile aggressor. I can see only one way of ending his murderous behaviour. You won’t post it though Sir JR.
August 17, 2025
Are you from the BBC?
August 17, 2025
I agree that we need to commit more EU and UK resources to assist Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Like it or not we have been at war with Russia for several years already, the Salisbury poisonings marked the beginnings, not to mention several previous assassinations by Russia on UK territory, not to mention repeated cyber attacks on the UK and other western countries. Sadly the USA is now an unreliable ally, notwithstanding Scottish Golf Courses, we are on our own and need rebuild our armed forces from our own resources. Every Eastern European country that falls to Russia, brings the Border one country closer the UK.
August 17, 2025
It seems to me the EU triggered this war by poking the Bear in his back yard.
Could it have been in the expectation that the gullible UK would want to do the decent thing and help the underdog, making it a calculated act to spite the UK for daring to leave the EU?
August 17, 2025
Sometimes the underdog is in the wrong. Do we really always want to support the underdog? That’s what happened in the gang raping of British girls. We supported and protected the rapists, murderers and terrorists because we decided they were the underdog.
Apparently it did not feel that way to 8 year old English girls and boys who were gang raped.
August 17, 2025
Sir John
I broadly agree with you, its not our mess it has always been an EU contrived conflict to suit the new bureaucratic personal ego of its unelected unaccountable State.
The bit I find a contradiction is the Kier Starmer is wishing, wanting, to put our highly valued troops on the ground in the Ukraine while at the same time point blankly refusing to defend our shores from a criminal invasion, he wants to feed and fund the worlds people traffickers. He wants to use taxpayer money o feed the legal profession to circumvent criminality. The man truly hates the UK, its People and as such seeks out comfort elsewhere by pandering to the wishes of others wishing to ‘stick-it’ to the UK,
August 17, 2025
I am appalled at the spectacle of Putin, the war criminal, meeting Trump in Anchorage with all the bonhomie, back slapping and hand shaking that went with it. And even more so that Trump – going against the previously agreed protocol – invited this appalling dictator into his presidential limousine – unaccompanied by secret service personnel or translators – for an 18 minute private chat.
There are many in the West who are extremely suspicious of Trump’s close relationship with Putin. It is noteworthy that Trump has long stopped all military aid to Ukraine unless somebody else pays for it. Meanwhile Putin has, for over three years, been savagely bombing Ukraine civilians, thousands of which have been killed.
We await the details of the appeasement deal that was agreed between Trump and Putin, without the involvement of Zelenskyy. Global media are saying that Putin has demanded more of eastern Ukraine in return for a “peace” involving vague security guarantees from Trump. Do not forget that Russia violated the 1994 Budapest memorandum (when Ukraine gave up it’s nuclear weapons in return for Russian security guarantees) in 2014 with it’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.
Appeasement has been historically proven to be a failed strategy when dealing with dictators and their territorial demands. Zelenskyy should reject Trump’s proposal to give Putin the victory he does not deserve and fight on with our support. Anything less will encourage Putin to directly confront the West elsewhere.
Reply Trump has not signed a deal with Russia. He has explored Russian terms for peace. Ukraine and the EU can now decide whether to accept or reject.
August 17, 2025
@ Sir John – reply
We should subjecting Putin to our terms for peace. He started this war with Biden’s incompetent connivance and he clearly has Trump’s support. We do not need to consider Russian “root causes” – they are the aggressors. If Trump had any balls he would be subjecting Putin to an ultimatum with consequennces if he does not return to the international borders.
Putin was the clear winner at the Anchorage “summit”. He flew in, told Trump what he wanted, got Trump to agree and flew out again. So much for Trump boasting he could end the war in 24hours
Reply threatening to go to war with Russia when they have an army of 1.13 million and we have 72,000 would be unwise
August 17, 2025
You all need to stick it to Putin because you will never comprehend reality until you are defeated.
Putin has. Offered sanctuary to all European civilians who wish to leave the Empire of Sodom and live a normal christian life.
August 18, 2025
Christianity is also about giving people the choice to follow God and God’s laws or not. God is not a dictator. You’re politically bankrupt if you believe Putin has any kind of legitimacy. He governs for his own glory and 95% of Russians don’t benefit from Russian’s natural resources that has created some wealth whilst so many of those just end up dead in a pointless war.
August 17, 2025
Oh dear. You’ll still be spluttering and protesting, SG, when NATO leaders officially give up on Ukraine as a bad job, and move on to the next big thing. Just accept it that Russia is going to get what it wants, because the signs are that behind the scenes NATO leaders have had to concede that it most definitely will. When you have the Times and the Telegraph publishing stories saying Ukraine has lost, you can be sure it has.
My interest now is on how our political masters will spin it via their servile media, so as not to look too humiliated. As with the Covid debacle, they will probably want to drum up some big new international emergency that focuses media attention, and distracts from their massive loss of face. Another pandemic? The ‘climate emergency’?
August 17, 2025
@ Hatman
I thought that you had moved to Moscow to lick Putins arse. How come you only pop up here when someone disagrees with your grovelling approval of uprovoked Russian aggression and the bombing of civilians?
August 17, 2025
It’s Ukraine – actually western personnel operating their own weapons, attempting to bomb Moscow and other Russian cities.
Ukraine’s own Patriot missiles hit some civilian infrastructure, it was not targeted and it comes down with the same velocity that it had going up. You remember some Ukrainian missiles even hit Poland? Killing 2 civilians?
August 17, 2025
You say, SG, that Trump has long stopped all military aid to Ukraine unless somebody else pays for it. Not that long: ‘The Trump administration informed the US congress that it plans to export defence-related products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS) of $50m or more.’ Guardian 1st May 2025.
The real issue is whether US has any heavy weapons left that it can spare, to allow Zelensky to continue his warfare.
August 18, 2025
I found Two-Tier’s greeting of Zelensky in Downing Street to be nauseating. The “man-hug” was not appropriate for a British Prime Minister greeting a (dodgy) foreign Leader who is costing this country a fortune we don’t have.
August 17, 2025
Sir John, I agree with your position regarding keeping British boots out of Ukraine. I also concur with the origin of this present conflict being directly caused by the EU interfering with Ukraine politics back in 2014 when our Baroness Ashton was the EU High Commissioner for Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs.
It was her lack of knowledge and her feeding money to the Ukrainian activist that championed joining the EU, that forced the elected President (I know) from office not by ballot votes but by civil unrest.
This whole destabilisation of Ukraine can be legitimately blamed on Baroness Ashton and the EU.
August 17, 2025
@Rod Evans. +1. You won’t hear that in the MSM though.
August 17, 2025
Britain shouldn’t be involved in any way in a dispute in Eastern Europe. However Britain has already entered into a defence treaty with Ukraine from which Britain receives no benefit whatsoever, only liability.
The last “guarantee” given to an East European country by Britain ended extremely badly, with its empire being dissolved, the country bankrupt and becoming part of the US Empire.
August 17, 2025
The blame for this mess lies with the EU and its eastwards expansion plans with the French and the Germans having history when it comes to this ambition. We’ve been caught up by all of this through our membership of the EU with even our own PM, Cameron, making a speech in Kazakhstan in 2013 declaring that the EU should extend further into the former USSR and reach from the Atlantic to the Urals.
It was this eagerness for the EU to expand eastwards as well as to regain our sovereignty which caused me to vote for Brexit when I had the chance.
August 17, 2025
Very useful summary, Sir John. What a sad and unnecessary war. Despite the vicious media criticism of President Trump I believe he is right, and his peace-making efforts are highly commendable. Sadly, he came into the fray too late, in the sense that Russia will not want to concede that many thousands of its soldiers died in vain, nor will Zelensky for that matter. But it is still possible that Trump can get the two sides to compromise proportionately, and in light of the geopolitical geography. This is not appeasement. Strength does not have to be knee-jerk or gung-ho bluff. The Trump approach is right. What alternative is there? Stick at it, Donald, and thank you!
August 17, 2025
The Nobel Peace Prize is due to be awarded on 10 December. The media describe President Trump as an avid contender and the likely recipient. If he is, might his interest in Ukraine begin to wane slightly on 11 December?
August 17, 2025
Well said Sir John.
Starmer’s fixation with pleasing the E.U. and bestriding the international stage like a clown is getting rather tiresome.
August 17, 2025
His “man-hug” greeting of Zelensky in front of the cameras in Downing Street was excruciating.
August 17, 2025
I am led to believe, he has past experience of man hugging Ukrainians….
August 17, 2025
As must be clear to everyone that the war, now well into its third year, has exposed the limits of Russian power. Putin does not want a war with NATO. He cannot even win a war against Ukraine.
As Admiral Sir Tony Radakin recently told the Centre for Strategic and International Studies “it is imperative to double down on our efforts to support Ukraine’s ability to defend its courageous people against Russian aggression – to preserve their hard-won freedom and independence through a just and lasting peace.”
Radakin favours forward defence, projecting power outward rather than retreating behind NATO borders. This means matching Russia not just in the skies and seas, but also in cyber warfare, space capabilities, diplomacy and economic influence.
Russia’s current strategy against the West is one of sub-threshold operations designed to harass us without triggering direct conflict. The very reason Russia is pursuing such sub-threshold attacks is because Russia is unwilling and unable to do so through more overt means.
To win the war in Ukraine we must wear the Russians down. Ukraine, unlike Trump and many who post here, is prepared to fight. We should give them enhanced capabilities and impose severe sanctions on Russian supporters China, India and Iran. As sure as day follows night, If we do not win the war in Ukraine, Taiwan and the Baltic States will be next.
Reply Good advice for EU who are clearly part of this conflict. Not sure we have much to contribute.
August 17, 2025
I’m afraid that Ukrainian polls show that the majority of Ukrainians p do not want to fight, even though they are now sending 60 year old to the front line.
You could volunteer – many British people did at the urging of Truss.
No doubt there will be medal ceremonies shortly 🤭 – posthumous.
August 17, 2025
Many commentators across the British media are very critical of President Trump’s efforts to negotiate a peace in Ukraine. They feel this is all reminiscent of Munich 1938 and Neville Chamberlain’s ‘Peace for our time’, that Putin has ulterior motives to take all of Ukraine eventually anyway and that Putin still wants to recreate the USSR. This is despite none of these commentators seeing any agreed Peace Treaty terms yet. How can anyone reach these conclusions without seeing them?
Whether President Trump secures a successful Peace Treaty or not he is right to try for it and it is noted no other leader was attempting it.
August 17, 2025
Where’s Wally! – Oh I meant Starmer
Lee Anderson claims Europe was “laughing at us”.
More than 2,500 migrants have crossed the English Channel in small boats in the 11 days since the Government’s flagship “one in, one out” agreement with France came into force, Home Office figures show.
Starmer in support of his WEF Socialist buddies in the EU will defend the Ukraine before he contemplates the UK – or so his recent pronouncements suggest.
August 17, 2025
Ukraine very short of men. A better solution than Rwanda surely?
August 17, 2025
Very few of us would want to be seen to be appeasing a bully. But, we have to be clear the Ukraine situation has nothing to do with the UK. The Ukraine just as with the Irish Republic and Austria as Sir John says is not in NATO, so there is no situation that should engage the UK. Russia is not threatening the UK
In perspective the UK does not have the muscle, the troops or the equipment to be a World Policeman. The UK’s single concern should be to ensure it can defend itself – which for now it has shown it can’t on nearly every level. Navy, Army, Air-force combined barely constitutes a defence force.
We did at one time in history have an Armed force that could protect our interests. That was what it was about as an Island Nation protecting the UK’s interests, the UK has lost that ability.
Today the Russian Army 1,320,000, the Ukraine 900,000 the UK 72,500. The UK Navy has just 25 warships (inc submarines) on rotation, yet has 41 Admirals. The UK Ministry of Defence staff 62,500 getting close to one pen-pusher to one man on the frontline – ‘go figure’
August 17, 2025
Russia’s aggressive actions are to be deplored. Still, I can’t see that we want or need to spend a lot of money on this war, which is geographically somewhat distant, and it is not of immediate concern to us whether territory is Russian or Ukrainian. The argument not to appease doesn’t apply to the same extent as it did in the 1930s, since we now have NATO to help us decide; if one of its members had been invaded, the position would be very different.
August 17, 2025
@Wokinghamite – a bit left field the UK, UK territory was attacked, when Argentina invaded the Falklands – where was NATO then. It was the same treaty as now
August 17, 2025
Ian B wrote: “a bit left field the UK …” Thanks for the reply. Could you explain what this means, please? – with a bit of English thrown in.
August 17, 2025
In his reply, Ian B mentioned the Falklands in connection with NATO, but, surely, no-one would have expected any NATO involvement on that occasion because the Falklands lie outside NATO’s defined geographical area of operation.
August 17, 2025
@Wokinghamite. Afghanistan was a NATO war, after an attack on a NATO member
August 17, 2025
And Russia and China lie within it ? 😂🤣
August 17, 2025
Not only did they refuse to help but refused to supply vital components for the military equipment we had bought from them.
The USA refuelled our planes in the air, they did not allow us to land.
South Africa refused to allow us to use Simonstown, the closest military harbour.
NATO is an expensive sham.
August 17, 2025
@Wokinhamite – Dictionary definition, ‘Left-field, means slightly odd or unusual.’
The discussion is about the Ukraine so bringing NATO into it when the Ukraine has nothing to do with the organisation is odd and out of the flow. Just me seeing a passing reference made by some of the comments and then referencing the fact that those Countries signed up to the NATO treaty pick and choose, so what is the value of NATO other than a virtue signal
August 17, 2025
If the Ukraine line fails, expect a large number of Ukrainians to be heading west, including the UK. They will genuinely be asylum seekers, and then the war does affect us.
No I don’t see it matters whether Ukraine belongs to Russia per se, but then Ukraine’s right to hold free elections will be at an end, not to mention all the Russian Army sweeping through and taking the victorious soldiers’ perks. You know what I mean.
August 17, 2025
Zelensky banned all 12 opposition parties.
Touching that you associated Ukraine with free elections.
Delusional.
August 17, 2025
‘to help Ukraine liberate some territory’ – I was amazed to read this from the usually very clear-sighted JR.
Even with all western-donated financial aid and materiel, Ukraine cannot possibly reconquer an inch of Russian-held territory, except very temporarily. The war now needs to end. Spoils – as always – go to the victor. We did not give much discussion in 1945 as to whether Germany should retain control of East Prussia or other German-settled lands that were forcibly occupied by Poland and the USSR.
If the Donbas is so important to Kiev, perhaps it should have taken note of the wishes of its largely ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking citizens, instead of trying to hang onto the eastern region while it conspired with the EU to ‘become western’ – historically and strategically an impossible dream, regardless of how Russia is governed.
These matters are best solved with plebiscites (for example, as with the region of Saarbrücken and the Saarland after WW2., when its citizens voted to become German. Or, in a more contemporary example, the Falklands and Gibraltar deciding to remain British.) After such an internecine conflict that has devastated and depopulated the whole area, that is now impossible. If Russia honestly rebuilds its infrastructure – part of any multi-partite negotiation – then let them get on with it, and leave the EU to issue diktats on ‘the settlement of its eastern borders’ it is (as we’ve seen from thier inability to stem illegal migration) laughably incapable of enforcing.
Reply My challenge is to the EU to get across to them it would take a much larger commitment by them to get Russia out of captured territory. I have made it clear I do not want to commit UK forces to the war. I also agree referenda would be better at settling border issues, but that is impossible now the disputed places are occupied by Russia. A fair referendum has to be run by a neutral government in places at peace.
August 17, 2025
Oh like the Brexit Referendum Sir John? A neutral government, at peace. 🤬
August 17, 2025
As I understand it the present problems stem from 2014. I can only see this going one of two ways. Either the people of the Donbas are given a free vote as to align with Russia or not, and both sides agree with the result, or the war continues with the inevitable result of Ukraine probably being lost. The EU will eventually get fed up as they have always been reluctant to put their money where their mouths are.
August 17, 2025
They had 4 referendums internationally scrutinized.
What more do you want?
August 17, 2025
Apologies Lyn. My history of the Ukraine is very limited.
August 17, 2025
You instinct is correct and moral and it’s nice to know that you and I are not the only people with those standards. The Russians have them too, they are the rational players.
August 17, 2025
Sir John, there doesn’t seem to have been space in your article to mention the £13 billion that Britain has so far poured down the Ukraine black hole, when I last looked, an. Now it’s several £billion more that Starmer is proposing to waste in the same way. I expect the Treasury are doing their sums, and realising that the £20 billion black hole reported last year is a lot bigger this year, thanks to the total waste of money on Zelensky and his far-right extremist clique. Who would want to fork out more in higher taxes to pay for it? Not me.
August 17, 2025
This is yet another US proxy war, following the removal of the original leader after interference from Victoria Nuland in 2014, IMO the war was managed by Jake Sullivan and Anthony Blinken as Joe was incompetent. Starmer and his European cohorts are living in a fools paradise if they seriously believe that either or both Trump and Putin will acknowledge their position. Putin has maintained his position on an end to the war, not a cessation of hostilities because, with due course, he doesn’t trust the US.
British or European troops in the ground will be shot, those working covertly will also suffer a similar fate. Keep out Starmer.
August 17, 2025
The West provoked Russia by planning a proxy war in Ukraine sacrificing Ukrainian territory and people in an endeavour to weaken Russia. The project has proved a total failure costing probably around one million lives, huge devastation with several millions Ukrainians fleeing abroad. Russia considered Ukraine joining NATO an existential threat and this is their position today. It is now time to stop fighting, the loss of life and the huge economic cost to Europe and UK is unacceptable. Trump’s initiative by meeting Putin provides hope that a settlement can be reached. It’s desperately sad to see our MSM and many politicians pressing for the war and the misery to continue.