Give Trump some credit – he has turned the tables on Putin

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It is something of an understatement to say that the foreign policy of Donald Trump in his second term differs greatly from his strategy in the first (“Trump says Zelensky will be involved in Russia – Ukraine peace talks after three-hour call with Putin”, Monday 17 February).

Trump’s fawning and sycophantic behaviour towards Vladimir Putin is a thing of the past; the student has eclipsed his master.

The reality is that Donald Trump is operating from a position of strength, while Putin is back on his heels. The protracted disasters of Syria and Ukraine, which have decimated the Russian economy and her people, as well as the highly symbolic losses of Russian territory in the Kursk region – the country’s first land loss since the Second World War – mean that Putin is abhorred and feared by much of his public. Moreover, he is hanging on by a thread with the far-right oligarchy that sustains his grotesque existence.

Putin needs Trump to ensure his survival by sanctioning his “win” in Ukraine.

In turn, the American president needs Russia’s natural resources – but, more so, its strategic partnership to undermine China and Iran, and to extort economic concessions from Europe.

Putin may control the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, but he is in no position to bluster, much less to use it.

Even Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said, cannily – albeit with some strategic exaggeration – that Putin now fears Trump.

The Russian leader will eventually submit to Donald Trump’s agenda, or there is the highest probability that Russians will remove him themselves.

Eric Radack

Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Sir John Major's warning to Donald Trump and JD Vance about the dangers of bypassing Ukraine and Europe in any negotiated settlement ("John Major accuses Donald Trump of ‘cuddling’ up to Vladimir Putin", Sunday 16 February) largely corresponds with the position of Sir Keir Starmer, who has reiterated that Ukraine's road to joining Nato is “irreversible” – a position that will, no doubt, irritate the White House.

Once again, Britain is stepping into a well-trodden and possibly thankless role in reminding the US about the dangers of trusting expansionist and duplicitous authoritarian regimes while cautioning against any retreat from Europe into isolationism. Churchill's warnings about the rise of Nazism and an “Iron Curtain” falling across Europe – and, later, Thatcher's strident reinforcement of Reagan's hard-line stance against the Soviet Union, and Blair's unswerving, if misjudged, support for America over Iraq and Afghanistan – have nevertheless helped avert the kind of Western schism the likes of Putin would dearly seek to exploit.

Britain must continue to make this case, even if it seems to be falling on deaf ears within the current US administration. After all, as the repercussions and scapegoating from the fall of nationalist China some 75 years ago demonstrated during the McCarthy era, there are serious risks to leaders who undermine their traditional allies.

Paul Dolan

Northwich, Cheshire

Fuelling the fever

Many NHS hospitals are currently under strain and declaring a state of emergency due to rising flu cases, in addition to Covid and norovirus hospitalisations (”Wes Streeting is right not to do a ‘victory lap’ over the NHS – our hospitals are still a nightmare”, Monday 17 February).

Most flu cases, though not all, appear to be elderly people. While this demographic are often more susceptible to sickness at this time of year, I think the rising numbers are a result of many having suffered from the lack of their usual winter fuel allowance.

The recent unremitting cold spell undoubtably exacerbated the flu problem for the elderly, but I believe many now cannot afford to heat their homes adequately. Fuel poverty has also been a likely trigger for other age groups being hospitalised with flu or covid as well.

In my opinion, stopping the winter fuel allowance was a shortsighted, cruel and thoughtless measure, which is now resulting in the NHS being overwhelmed.

Marguerite Rossini

Dovercourt, Essex

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Taking away the winter fuel allowance for poor pensioners is a choice. Capping child benefits to keep kids in poverty is a choice. Reneging on the promise to compensate Waspi women is a choice.

Imposing unnecessary austerity on the poor while also giving £4bn of our money to Ukraine to sustain an endless war is yet another poor choice by the Labour government – one we should not forget at the ballot box in 2029 ("Starmer says he is ready to put UK troops in Ukraine to face down Putin if necessary", Sunday 16 February).

Julie Partridge

London SE15

Flight of fancy

One answer to the extortionate and opportunistic price increases for flights is a boycott (”Half-term flights soar to 9 times the normal price”, Friday 14 February). If everyone held their nerve and refused to buy at anything over the regular price, this would soon stop. No one needs to go skiing or sunbathing – they are nice options in life, but not essential.

The same would hold for match and event tickets where the situation is even worse with touts and agencies artificially inflating resale prices.

Mike Margetts

Kilsby, Northamptonshire

Trans rights and wrongs

The controversy over those who transition appears to me to be very one-sided (Letters: ”When it comes to trans people, we’ve forgotten our manners”, Sunday 16 February). It is focused primarily on males wishing to transition to female, and often treating them with a lot of hostility.

Until we are able to understand and account for why this is seen as problematic, the motives of those who transition will always be viewed with suspicion.

A starting point must be discussion around protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that individual ambitions and aspirations are not unnaturally thwarted to help assuage concerns. It is frankly unhelpful that the attitude associated with transitioning from female to male are not regarded as being of the same magnitude.

David Smith

Taunton, Somerset

Oh, Canada…

I don't want Canada to become the 51st state of the United States ("What it would take for Canada to become the 51st US state", Thursday 13 February). But the United States could become the 11th province of Canada.

Why not? Donald Trump I would be replaced by Charles III. What would we not do for law and democracy?

Sylvio Le Blanc

Montreal, Canada

Lydon’s lyrics

I found Lydia Spencer-Elliott’s interview with John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) very intriguing – mostly because of the subject’s pronouncement after Donald Trump’s re-election that it was “a joy to behold”, and that he could be “a possible friend” (“John Lydon admits he was furious at the Sex Pistols for touring without him”, Sunday 16 February).

Does Johnny not remember his line in “God Save the Queen”, alluding to what he considered, at the time, “the fascist regime”?

Jeremy Redman

London SE6

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