Jonathan Freedland (First on the White House agenda: the collapse of the global order. Next, war?, 4 February) asserts that with his “swooning admirer” in the White House, Vladimir Putin “feels free to flex his muscles”, and has launched an offensive in eastern Ukraine. As so often in recent coverage of Russia, the opposite is the case. Moscow has desperately tried to keep the Donbass conflict frozen, and has restrained the various militias from responding.

In recent weeks, we have watched with increasing alarm as Ukrainian forces have pushed forward into the demilitarised demarcation line in a “bite and hold” strategy. This was admitted by the Ukrainian deputy defence minister, Igor Pavlovsky, when he stated that “step by step … our boys have been advancing”. The rebel forces in the Donbass have nothing to gain by a renewed offensive, but in the end were forced to respond.

It is worrying that the Guardian seems to have an enthusiasm for demonising Putin and discrediting the present Russian government. This only helps to undermine the “liberal international order”, which seems unable to uphold the values that it proclaims, and which now generates conflict, rather than seeking negotiated solutions.

Freedland is right in one thing, though: the stakes could not be higher and war is on the horizon. In these circumstances, balance and responsibility are essential.

Professor Richard Sakwa

School of politics and international relations, University of Kent

• I cannot share Jonathan Freedland’s apocalyptic vision. That America has been convulsed by war every 80 to 100 years does not mean that it is due for another such convulsion. A sounder historical analysis, as argued persuasively by the American academic Steven Pinker, points to democracy as one of the the reasons why world wars have been avoided since 1945.

Has one mature democracy ever invaded another mature democracy? When Trump or his henchmen start ordering the arrest of opposing or satirical journalists, I shall join Mr Freedland on the demonstrations. Trump may like the idea of journalists disappearing, as has happened in Putin’s Russia, but he will surely discover that the democratic freedoms in America are too deeply entrenched.

David Simmonds

Woking, Surrey

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters