I am sharing this letter which I submitted yesterday to the ‘Belfast Newsletter’ and the ‘Belfast Telegraph’ with you. It has appeared in this morning’s ’Newsletter’.
Sincerely,
Ivan Foster
Sir,
What amazes me in the ongoing Ukraine crisis is that some ‘strong’ NATO leader has not responded to Putin’s threats of nuclear war against any who break his ‘rules of war’ and aid Ukraine, by telling him that we have ‘nuclear weapons’ also!
Such a reminder would prove more productive than the present patchy, selective sanctions.
I think I did see that the French said something to that effect but it was not repeated.
If it is thought that such a reminder would only provoke Putin to launch a nuclear attack, I believe that there are in Russia those in positions of power that would recognise the vulnerability of their own land to a retaliatory attack and who would act so as to prevent Putin moving in such a self-destructive direction.
Is this not what President John Kennedy did during the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’ of 1962? Did he not threaten to act against Russia’s aggression back then and forced Russia to back down?
Having nuclear weapons in the West is no deterrent against the likes of Putin unless he is made to believe that we are prepared to respond to any aggression on his part! Indeed, timidity on the part of the Western leaders is the greatest encouragement he could receive to launch a nuclear attack!
I would suggest that Psalm 83:3-4 gives us helpful guidance as to the mind of God regarding what is happening in Ukraine and the duty of ‘Free’ nations.
“Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Respectfully,
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Kilskeery,
7th Match 2022.