Donald Trump’s seven-point plan for peace gives Kyiv no clear security guarantee from the US Credit: Leah Mills/Reuters

SIR – The peace settlement proposed by America (“Trump to let Putin keep seized land”, report, April 23) is nothing short of a complete betrayal of Ukraine. It makes a mockery of territorial integrity, self-determination and independence.

Presumably, if Ukraine does not accept the terms, then the erratic and unpredictable Donald Trump will remove all American military backing. This heroic country would then be completely dependent on European support, and remain at risk of invasion.

It is clear that Vladimir Putin has Mr Trump wrapped around his little finger.

David S Ainsworth
Manchester

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SIR – If, in 1940, Hitler had seized Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and Sussex, would Churchill have agreed to let him keep those territories to end the war? I don’t think so.

Paul Bentley
New Malden, Surrey

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SIR – If the proposed peace deal goes ahead, America’s allies will be sceptical of its intentions when offered military assistance in the future.

They will have to be prepared to have the rug pulled from underneath them, and be forced into bad deals with invaders.

Stuart Moore
Bramham, West Yorkshire

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SIR – If Donald Trump allows Vladimir Putin to keep seized land, the planned state visit must surely be cancelled. 
Given that Mr Trump is willing to hand over Ukrainian territory to the aggressor, one assumes he will also forget about the 35,000 children kidnapped by Russia.

Enough is enough. We must drop the “special relationship”, as we are in danger of sleepwalking into a grotesque new world order determined by those currently occupying the White House.

Tom Moore
Newcastle upon Tyne

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SIR – By continuing with the plan to deploy Britain’s Carrier Strike Group to the Indo-Pacific (report, April 23), the Government and Royal Navy are demonstrating a lack of flexibility in reacting to world events. With our depleted naval forces, there are higher priorities closer to home.

The war in Ukraine may well continue for some time and, if America withdraws its support, countering the potential Russian naval threat will become increasingly important.

In addition, given that one of the primary roles of the Navy is to keep merchant shipping lanes open, Britain should be doing more to support the American aircraft-carriers in degrading the Houthi threat in the Red Sea. It would be extraordinary if our Carrier Strike Group, with its fifth-generation F-35 jets, along with a cruise-missile-armed submarine, sneaked through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait without joining in the fight.

Rear Admiral Philip Mathias (retd)
Southsea, Hampshire
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Martin Selves

I don’t know if many people support me on Trump/Ukraine, but the President it about to throw this Country under a Bus. His proposal to effectively divide up Ukraine between Russia and America is not one I can support easily. I could if Zelensky’s agrees to it, but in the name of common sense, Ukraine must be at the table and agree to its own future. Zelensky will continue to fight because he is the only honourable man in this end game, and he is being ignored. Trump is such a loose cannon now he could pull out of Ukraine completely, and walk away from NATO. 

Or try. I think the people in the USA are more uncomfortable with Trump than he realises. If he focusses their bewilderment by leaving Ukraine empty of intelligence, advice and weapons, the President might get a shock as the Country turns on him.

It is a mess, and Trump is a mess as well. I find it increasingly hard not to think some form of insanity is going on in the White House.

I don’t know how Ukraine can finish this war. They are willing to concede territory but not Sevastopol. They are willing to fight on, but without the USA it can only mean defeat. Giving up its mineral wealth to the USA and Crimea to Putin is not an honourable solution. Such a solution is really blackmail, and containment of Russia expansion is not considered. 

Alex Balcombe

“If, in 1940, Hitler had seized Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent and Sussex, would Churchill have agreed to let him keep those territories to end the war? I don’t think so.”

If that had happened Churchill wouldn’t have had a choice about losing the war. 

Similarly, Zelensky has little choice now. Wishful thinking doesn’t win wars. Putin is where he is, and he’s not going to give up and pull Russian troops out. We either agree to cede Ukrainian territory or fight WW3.

R J P

Reply to Alex Balcombe

The Allies didn’t have much choice about the partition of Germany after WWII. The Soviet influence over East Germany and the rest of that part of Europe caused untold suffering until the Iron Curtain finally fell in the late 1980s. Putin wants to rebuild it.