Readers discuss Nathan Gill’s prison sentence for accepting Russian bribes, Trump’s deal with Ukraine and the shortcomings of NATO (Picture: NIKLAS HALLE’N/AFP via Getty Images)
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'Ten-and-a-half years seems a very short sentence for the treasonous former MEP Nathan Gill'
Ten-and-a-half years seems a very short sentence for the treasonous former MEP Nathan Gill, who took around £40,000 in bribes to make pro-Russia speeches in the European Parliament (Metro, Mon).
Why, though, was it only under the Bribery Act that he was prosecuted – and under which he made eight guilty pleas?
It is as if the money element was of more consequence than the more heinous crime of betraying his own country.
Is this because we do not have appropriate laws to protect against such crimes? How about high treason?
If further plots involving betrayal of our country in favour of Russia are discovered, it would be tragic if they could not be pursued because payment was not involved or our laws were too weak to enable prosecution.
Sally Wilton, Bournemouth
This reader says treason should be punishable (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
‘Leaving it to Mr Farage to investigate Russian interference is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse’, says reader
Sir Keir Starmer wants Nigel Farage to investigate whether there is further Russian influence in his political start-up of a party.
Farage has praised Russian president Vladimir Putin, appeared on Moscow-funded media and was branded ‘a Putin-loving free speech impostor’ by US congressman Jamie Raskin. Hardly the man for the job.
Reform UK may be new, but Gill and Farage sat together as Ukip and Brexit Party MEPs. And Russian meddling in UK politics didn’t start yesterday or with Reform UK – it’s been suspected since before the Brexit vote.
Leaving it to Mr Farage to investigate Russian interference is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Peter Packham, Chair, Leeds for Europe
Reader questions why people would want Farage as a leader when he as ‘form on links to Rissua’
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Ex-Reform UK Welsh leader Gill took bribes from pro-Kremlin politician Oleg Voloshyn to make statements to the European Parliament that would benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine.
Of course, Nigel Farage has expressed shock that the person he knew ‘for a very long time’, someone he thought was ‘hard-working, honest and loyal’ turned out to be a ‘bad apple’.
But let’s face it, Farage himself has form on links to Russia. Just over ten years ago Farage clocked up 17 paid appearances on the state-owned TV channel Russia Today. As an MEP he voted against stronger EU measures aimed at countering ‘highly dangerous’ Russian disinformation.
Farage has also said in the past that Putin is the world leader he admires the most and that it was the West that provoked the war in Ukraine.
Voloshyn’s wife has even posted a photograph of herself with Farage in 2018. This is the man who wants to be prime minister. This is the man who says he cares about British patriotism.
Would you really want to vote for a party led by a man like this? Mike Baldwin, Thorverton
This reader says questions why anyone would want Farage as leader (Picture: Contributor/Getty Images)
‘Let’s hope that European leaders continue their support, as well as giving Ukraine additional firepower’, says reader
Once again, Donald Trump is being played by Putin over the US-led peace deal with Ukraine (Metro, Mon). Leaked details suggest that they have cooked up a deal that rewards Russia for its invasion.
Ukraine would have to surrender territory and limit its military. Negotiations with Kyiv are ongoing.
In no way will Ukrainian leaders and people accept such a one-sided deal. Putin knows this is the case and when Trump sanctions Ukraine for not agreeing to it, Russia can press on with its indiscriminate war against civilians.
Let’s hope that European leaders continue their support, as well as giving Ukraine additional firepower. Dave Dulson, Liverpool
‘When will the Nato allies wake up and realise that buying US weapons make us weaker?’
This reader says Trump’s plan is one that plan that ‘not only forces capitulation upon Ukraine but also achieves Russia’s greatest wish’ (Picture: John McDonnell/Getty Images)
The draft 28-point peace plan says ‘a dialogue will be held between Russia and Nato’ to resolve all security issues, and will be ‘mediated by the US’.
We must assume, therefore, that the US has already agreed with Russia that it will cease to be part of Nato itself and instead play the role of ‘honest broker’.
In so doing, it has agreed a plan that not only forces capitulation upon Ukraine but also achieves Russia’s greatest wish – the fragmentation of Nato. When will the Nato allies wake up and realise that buying US weapons make us weaker?
We are at the mercy of a US president who is quite likely to refuse spare parts for our expensive equipment unless we accede to Russian demands.
No more F35s, it’s time to develop a Rolls-Royce powered, Swedish-built Gripen fighter jet. Roger Morris, Mitcham
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