Dear Editor,

The Donald Trump/JD Vance America has suggested that Ukraine give up its territory currently occupied by Russia’s military. I suggest that they relinquish territory held outside of the continental United States before expecting/asking Ukrainians to relinquish to Vladimir Putin’s Russia a sizeable chunk of territory that actually belongs to Ukraine.

China has similarly suggested that Ukraine let go of the occupied territory as part of a permanent ceasefire settlement/deal with Russia. Perhaps China should give up on Taiwan, which is an independent nation, before it asks Ukrainians to sacrifice territory that actually belongs to them.

No, the US and China won’t be doing that. I believe they wouldn’t give up any territory if they were in Ukraine’s situation. That’s for suckers.

As for Russia, Putin pathetically and hypocritically criticises then punishes Ukraine’s people when the latter’s military dares to strike back against Russia’s campaign of deliberate targeting and killing of civilians and destruction of infrastructure with barrages of missiles and/or drones. Putin says he is astonished and angry, as though the Ukrainians really have no moral right to self-defence!

Of course, Putin will absurdly justify Russia’s first-strike attacks against Ukrainian civilians as a necessity to ‘de-nazify’ their democratically elected Government. But he should first ‘de-nazify’ Russia’s Kremlin — and especially his own presidency! Notably, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of German supports, or at least sympathises with, Putin’s Russia, and vice versa.

It’s utterly naive to think that fascistic conduct is somehow less offensive if its perpetrator is not externally considered to be or tagged by the West as “neo Nazi”.

Regardless, it all reveals a great yet misplaced sense of entitlement held by Putin’s Russia — and China and definitely Trump’s America. They indeed are the high school bully whose concept of his fair share is always three-quarters of the pie. Also worrisome for the little guy is when the bully is perfectly fine or even proud of the fact.

Frank Sterle Jr

fgsjr2013@gmail.com