Patrick Wintour is undoubtedly correct when he says that “the UK has long been the anti-Russian outrider in Europe” (Russian spy mystery, 13 March), but there is more to it than that. With the exception of the two world wars, relations between the UK and Russia (or the Soviet Union) have been uniformly bad for nigh on 200 years. Moreover, the two countries seem to bring out the worst in each other, so that relations have periodically been set back by dangerous, futile or sometimes downright silly incidents of a sort that seem not to occur in either Britain or Russia’s other bilateral relations: two incidents from the sillier end of the spectrum would be the decision in 1971 to expel over 100 alleged Soviet spies from London and the Russian insistence on dismantling most of the British Council’s activities in that country in 2008.

The UK will inevitably need to respond to the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, but thereafter someone should seclude themselves in a quiet room to study the history of British-Russian relations, to assess the political, cultural and other factors that have brought about this state of affairs, and to work out (if possible, jointly with the Russian side) measures that might in due course lead to a sustainable improvement in relations. Given the present state of both Britain and Russia it will not be easy, but it is in everybody’s interests.

John Dunn

Bologna, Italy

• At a time when many politicians and much of the media use the word Russia merely to stigmatise a great people, may the rest of us be allowed to reflect on: the bravery of Stalingrad, the novels of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, the poetry of Pushkin and the plays of Chekhov, the Bolshoi ballet, the first person in space, the huge sacrifices of the second world war, the music of Tchaikovsky (the 1812 Overture), the beauty of the Volga and of the steppes, of St Petersburg and Red Square, of a people who passionately love their country – and their sense of humiliation in the Yeltsin years with the import of some of the worse aspects of our own culture, from oligarchs and greed to the loss of human pride. If we wish to understand Russia, these may be better clues than the superficial cliches of made-up minds and vested interests.

Ian Flintoff

Oxford

• Overseas investors, including Russians, keep huge numbers of houses empty. The Institute for Public Policy Research reports that 216,000 homes in England have been unoccupied for over six months, more than the UK builds annually. In 2015 the Bow Group reported that pressure from foreign property speculators is a major factor in property inflation.

Banning Russians from owning homes, unless they live and pay taxes in the UK, would instantly relieve pressure on house prices and availability. It is rare that taking sanctions against a foreign power has beneficial effects: this is such an occasion. The government should give Russians (and offshore companies unless they prove non-Russian ownership) a deadline of at most a few months to dispose of any UK property, after which the state should seize it and auction it off, returning the proceeds less costs and commission. Theresa May must decide whether she cares more about the security of our nation or donations from Russian oligarchs.

Dr David Cooper

Secretary, Liberal Democrats Alter (Action for Land Taxation & Economic Reform)

• The alleged “Russian” poisoning in Salisbury should awaken Brexiteers to the fact that we are clearly no longer a world power to be feared but a small island nation that is rapidly losing friends. It’s good that the EU will support us in whatever counter-measures we take, but our divorce from them has not got really nasty yet. Who knows where we will find such loyal support in the future? Brexit remains a disaster for the UK with huge damage to our economy, our reputation for fairness and our position in the world.

Gordon Bernard

Loose, Kent

• Tom Davies’ letter (12 March) justifying the killing of British citizens by drone attack is naive in the extreme. He states that the two men were planning terror attacks in the UK. Who says so? I thought it was the role of the courts to declare guilt, or not, rather than the government. The use of drones in such a way is tantamount to execution without trial. I for one can see the parallels with the events in Salisbury.

Kevin Albone

Melksham, Wiltshire

• Let’s pull out of the World Cup now. That will teach Putin a lesson and save us England fans the usual disappointment.

Ralph Jones

Rochester, Kent

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