Anything that can help force Russia to withdraw must be welcomed

Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Under the headline – I cry for citizens of our twin city facing night after night of fear, she described what it was like to live in that city after recently spending a week in the war-torn country. I have written before about Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine and the impact that it has had from, amongst others, the abduction of children to Russia , the conditions on the frontline and the utter devastation that it has wreaked on ordinary peace-loving Ukranians, Advertisement Advertisement I have highlighted the plight of Ukrainian refugees and their journey to these shores, some of whom are relatives of mine, and their mounting anguish as their loved ones, back in their homeland, continue to suffer the deprivations and dangers of this crazy war.

A war started by a madcap megalomaniac that has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives on both sides of the border and continues to do so. It is with some relief then that I welcomed the news that permission appears to have been granted for Ukraine to use American supplied ATACMS missiles to hit military targets inside Russia. It has long been a source of frustration in Kyiv that it could not use these missiles against the bases inside Russia that have launched countless missiles and drone assaults on Ukrainian cities.



I am not a pacifist. I am a realist. However, it pains me that I am reduced to hailing a decision to use missiles that will undoubtedly cause the loss of life amongst Russian armed forces.

But we cannot sit back and allow the Kremlin to unleash drones and missiles on the civilian population with impunity. The unfettered use of ATACMS will help Ukraine to neutralise the bases that are launching these devastating attacks which have terrorised civilians. This war must end and must end soon, and anything that can help force Russia to withdraw and negotiate a settlement should be welcomed.

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