IT is important to understand what the war in Ukraine is about.

The Ukrainians are trying to prove they can defeat a Russian army that enters their territory. The Russians are trying to recolonize Ukraine or grab as much territory as they can, sign a peace treaty and try again later for the rest. And between Western sanctions on Russia and arms supplied to Ukraine Russia will be defeated.

As much of the harvest in Ukraine must be planted in April, without which many people will go hungry all over the world this winter, we are all sleep-walking into a world of food uncertainty.

The incompetence of our own government deserves a special mention. They are more guilty than most.

We need in this country to begin subsidising the growing of fruit and vegetables this year while at the same time banning their export, to improve our diet, provide cheap food for everyone and, above all, give us some kind of food security in this country.

Allowing Ukrainian refugees to come to this country is a compassionate thing to do but it is also the wrong thing to do. The war aim of Russia is to level Ukrainian cities, force the occupants abroad, and populate the land with Russians and claim the territory for Russia, as they have done in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine.

This war must be won, or it will mean the end of small, independent European states of which we are one. Victory in this war is Russian troops being withdrawn from Ukrainian territory. Then, and only then, should sanctions against Russian be lifted.

The cheapest option for the west is to give the Ukrainian army everything they need to win and no more and hope they can do it quickly before too many people starve to death.

Roy Ivinson
Silloth