Readers' letters: Zelenskiy brings US a powerful message

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called upon Europe and the US to do more to help his country and the Ukrainian people. His plea from the heart: “We need you now”.

The hundreds of representatives and senators gathered on Capitol Hill who watched his address to the world gave him a standing ovation, but he was asking for help with great dignity and needs much more than appreciation of his words.

He couldn’t have been clearer about his desperation when he said that there was no point in living “if we cannot stop the deaths”.

It’s difficult to watch the footage of terrified, sobbing children being dragged away by their mothers to find a place of safety from the relentless pulverisation of their homes.

Zelenskiy has now released a powerful video showing the horrific impact of the Russian bombardment on Ukrainian cities. He showed it to US lawmakers on Wednesday.

Sometimes people have to face the reality of war to galvanise them into action against oppressors. We have a choice: we can switch off our televisions to avoid being exposed to the heart-breaking footage or we can watch and use our voices to protest against the criminal actions of the Russian military.

Carolyn Taylor, Broughty Ferry.

It’s time Johnson was shown the door

The Prime Minister’s defects are far from trivial: his contempt for the rules and his consistently slipshod, evasive and self-interested conduct are unacceptable at any time, and particularly during a world crisis.

The UK is not, of course, directly involved in Putin’s murderous assault on Ukraine and so Mr Johnson should not expect the degree of patriotic solidarity generally given to a country’s wartime leader.

Even then, the incumbent's tenure is not guaranteed. In 1940, during a war that was an existential threat to Britain, MPs lost confidence in Neville Chamberlain and he was replaced by Churchill as PM.

And there are surely alternative leaders available, even in the ranks of the current Conservative party, who could offer more expertise and gravity than Johnson. Ben Wallace or Tom Tugendhat, perhaps.

Anthony O’Donnell, Edinburgh.

Climate words not matched by action

More worrying behaviour/comments from the SNP/Green administration in Edinburgh.

A report by the Climate Change Committee (CCC), published on Tuesday said the Scottish Government had presented a "vision" (Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme) for protecting the environment but had largely failed to deliver practical policies.

“Progress in delivering adaptation has stalled. Available evidence indicates that across most sectors progress in delivering adaptation has stagnated…”

Yet Michael Matheson, Cabinet secretary for net zero, says “…we are making real progress” Really Michael, are we?

I would suggest that many in the SNP/Green administration suffer from cognitive dissonance which put simply means any real/factual information that does not correspond with a strongly held internal vision is simply ignored. It’s more evidence that the SNP/Green administration are simply not up to the task of leading Scotland.

John Smith, Falkirk.

Lord Provost office

The Office of Lord Provost should be non-political and there to keep order in the chamber. The f Lord Provost should be treated with the respect the position expects for a Capital City.

CJR Fentiman, Edinburgh.

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