The nonsense he writes about the region after WW2 beggers belief.

WW2 claimed millions of lives. The whole of Europe was on the move. The catastrophe which had befallen populations concentrated minds on their own survival. They had their own personal horrors to deal with and war correspondence was still in it’s infancy. Every nation mourned together. “Hip” does not come into it. John Clare’s vexatious name calling aimed at anyone who disagrees with him only illustrates his own fragility when it comes to adult debate.

The Russian empire collapsed in 1989 from within. Any agreements with Nato did not matter by then. Russia had no choice but to withdraw from eastern Europe which it had held captive since the end of WW2 . Doesn’t Mr Clare read the history?

Since then the eastern European nations have flourished and have no desire to once again be taken over by Russia and will fight to the death to defend their freedom.

The regions in eastern Ukraine were invaded following the Russian takeover of the Crimea. Yes, there are ethnic Russians mixed in, sympathetic to Russia in the east. They live within the borders of Ukraine. Putin used this to send in his agents and agitators to stir up and motivate any dissenters. He then sent in his troops. It is false to imply that Ukraine bombs it’s citizens, when Mr Clare should specify “Russian and Russian backed separatists” are being bombed by Ukraine. Russia is forcing the breakup of the Ukraine and not “helping poor defenceless citizens” as he implies. Once again Mr Clare is making up his own narrative when he implies that Ukrainians “hate, their corrupt government”. I wonder then why the Russian troops were not welcomed and why millions have fled to safety from the barbarians? I can assure Mr Clare That Ukrainians have no love of Russia and hate them now. They still remember the great famine 1932-1933 when 7,000,000 people were starved to death by the Soviet Government as part of Stalin’s decades long effort to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry, who resisted the forced collectivisation of their lands. Look at the news from the Front, at the “Esprit de Corps” of the Ukrainian forces or are you deaf Mr Clare?

Ben Dmytryszyn, Tavira, By Email