WITH the fall of the USSR, Russians felt humiliated by their loss of status and power, and the looting of their country by people who then fled to the West.

In a powerful narrative (a little of which is even true), Vladimir Putin has become a symbol for the Russian Motherland, fighting its enemies to restore Russian pride and sense of place.

President Trump is also out there, making America Great again – accommodating to dictators and oppressors everywhere. The Donald’s watch would be a fine time, internationally, for locking up journalists and a bit of ethnic cleansing. He also has a new pick to lead the CIA ("Trump fires Secretary of State in another abrupt change at the top", The Herald, March 14). Gina Haspel has a background in “black sites” torture and destruction of evidence of torture interrogations. No surprise that Mr Trump also believes in the efficacy of torture.

And then there is Mr Xi, now President for Life in China. He also wishes his country to be returned to some historic golden age, when China was at the centre of the celestial universe.

Brexit? Climate Change? Poor GDP? Forget all that.

We must content ourselves with the new “Great Game”. Remember the rules: don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.

GR Weir,

17 Mill Street,

Ochiltree.

I AM increasingly doubtful that the Russian State is involved in the nerve attack in Salisbury. Craig Murray, a former British ambassador (sacked by Jack Straw for reporting on torture by Uzbekistan) who has good connections to the Foreign Office has shown in his blog that there is considerable doubt on the origins of the attack. Why would Vladimir Putin agree to this attack when he had the Russian spy in prison for years and could have bumped him off without notice? Also Sergei Skripal was swapped for Russian spies and the evidence is that both sides respect these swaps.

What is also concerning is the way in which the media have uncritically accepted the British Government line. I do remember how we were lied to over weapons of mass destruction to get us into the war with Iraq.

I am also appalled at the way Jeremy Corbyn is being treated for rightly asking for proof of Russian involvement before precipitate action is taken.

We in Scotland as the home of our so-called nuclear deterrent would be a primary target in any hot war that comes out of this cranking up the Cold War. For all these reasons let’s have more analysis and evidence before cranking up the Cold War yet again.

Hugh Kerr (former MEP),

Wharton Square, Edinburgh.

PRIME Minister May accused Vladimir Putin of treating Britain with “sarcasm” and “complete disdain” for asking to see the forensic evidence gathered in Salisbury. Gavin Williamson, the fireplace salesman she appointed Secretary of State for Defence, memorably announced that Russia should shut up and go away”.

This is megaphone diplomacy of a high order. But there have been similar requests from President Macron of France and Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn ("Fury as Corbyn misjudges mood over Russian attack", The Herald, March 15). Clearly this tendency to doubt our Government's forensic scientists, which started with the Pan Am bombing and continued through the Iraq WMD farrago, has become a problem.

It was only to be expected that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson would appear on television to spout his usual nonsense. But what has happened to the burden of proof and the requirement for evidence? Why was the finger immediately pointed at Moscow and followed by the demand that it demonstrate its innocence within 36 hours?

Rev Dr John Cameron,

10 Howard Place,

St Andrews.

WHAT was Margaret Forbes’s list of "whataboutery" regarding Russia's nerve agent attack in Salisbury (Letters, March 15) supposed to prove?

What the US did in Vietnam and Laos in the 1960s and 70s, or Iraq in the 90s is insultingly irrelevant to Russia using a nerve agent which could have killed thousands in a small English city simply to pursue their President's personal vendetta from his past job.

Let's be clear about this: if Mossad did the same, the lunatic loudmouths of Britain's far left and far-right would be screaming blue murder alongside those Corbynistas whose sentimentalism for the Soviet Union blinds them to the facts.

No excuses – the use of nerve agents in a major population centre cannot be allowed to pass unchallenged, ever.

Mark Boyle,

15 Linn Park Gardens, Johnstone.

I HAVE a grandson who is a doctor working in a London hospital. When he wanted to buy a small flat within a few miles of his work, which he can be called into in emergency, he has had to get a large sum from his parents, and show, because of money laundering laws, that they had a legal right to have that money – which they could do.

Yet the government now tells me that there is a large amount of Russian money in UK banking, that a large number of properties in London have been bought in London by Russian money. And there is a great deal of money laundering which has been done by Russians, which is criminal, as is the action of the banks who are obliged, by law, to detect it, report it, and refuse to do it.

Now if the government's statements are true, and I see no evidence to suggest otherwise, then I have to conclude that the government has been "bought off" by the banks, just as the banks, and their auditing accountants, have been allowed to get away with their possible fraudulent actions in the period 2007 to 2009, which cost all of us billions.

If there has been any money laundering going on, whether by Russian millionaires or anyone else, should we not expect legal action to have been started by the authorities? The facts are available to the police – the data can be extracted from the net. Should Russian criminals, and the banks and accountants who preceded them, have immunity from our laws?

Gerry Fisher,

Allt na Mara, Benderloch, Oban.