Simon Jenkins looked very surprised by the lack of soft power shown in Russia (Starmmer reminders and other Saber-Rattlers. Why spend billion in firearms – soft power keeps us safe, 26 June). He wrote: “Every thoughtful tool should be deployed to introduce Russia to the community of European countries.”
Russia is included in G7, receives a state visit from the queen, and added to the eurovision. Tony Blair Gets Vladimir Putin Silver Cufflink For his birthday, and supported Russian war in Chechnya. None of these, not the rush of Russian investment in the UK, not BL investment billions in Russia, not hosting Olssia in Olimpies and World Cup, work.
Sometimes the soft power ensures only the tyranny keeps moving with a disability, and ensure that the message “We don’t agree with your actions and you want to stop” to stop the deaf.
Chris Rousell
Durham
Simon Jenkins is perfectly right. To spend $ 1.3bn on us aeroplanes whose operational use is subject to us approval serves only to repeat the continuing and expensive folly of trident et al. To announce this in the same week as suggesting the cut support for some of the most achieving people in our unequal beggars in society.
Many years ago, Ralph Maliband argues that the working The party becomes a “party of moderate social reform”. Even it is now as optimistic. As a party member since the early 1970s, I am a thousand thought resigning resignations.
Richard Taylor
Pooly Bridge, Cumbria
Simon Jenkins makes a key case. The army of ourselves in teeth is strengthened by hostility rather than in raising peace. West missed the golden opportunity to end the cold war when Mikhail Gorbachev Breaks the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War that makes NATO NATO. Instead it is treated as a victory of communism capitalism, and we are strengthened. Led to Putin inappropriately.
Soft power raises each other. Assistance help, correctly targeted, helps health education communities and self-esteem. It provides a friendly attitude toward the fits if it is unconditional political. That’s definitely a more successful road in a safe world, rather than withdrawal behind a wall mentality and expenditure of defense, which has dismissed the public’s consequences.
John Stone
Thames Ditton, Surrey
Simon Jenkins obviously thinks that in the face of Russia in Putin, the soft power will keep us. It was a great mercy that the great Russian reporter Anna Polorkovskaya It is not alive to comment on this story, but he was shot outside his Moscow Apartment in 2006 – on Putin’s birthday as it happened. Natalia EsteemirovaRussian human rights activist may say something, but he was killed in 2009. It is possible Sergei MagnitskyRussian tax lawyer, maybe something said, but he died in police custody in 2009. Boris NemtsovThe Politician’s opposition of Russia, definitely gave a different point of view but he was killed in the view of Kremlin in 2015. Unfortunately Alexei Navalny Unable to prevent good sense of Jenkins while he died in a Russian Gulag in 2024.
Brendon Bonner
Porirua, New Zealand
Of course Simon Jenkins is right to emphasize the importance of soft power, but surely we need hard and soft choices? As Theodore Roosevelt said: “Say slowly and bring a big stick.”
Dr David well
delicious
