Breaking ranks with Putin

The people of Ukrainse should be allowed to settle their own destiny at the ballot box without military intervention from any quarter. I don't believe it would do any good for the people of Ukraine if the West were to attempt to intervene militarily, and I don't believe that any reasonable person could take anything the West has said as a threat to do so.

The EU has many faults which urgently need reform, but do I not believe any intelligent person who studies the situation for more than five minutes could take seriously the idea that the EU caused the present crisis in the Ukraine. Neither did Britain.

Only people who have an axe to grind against the EU are blaming Europe for this, and only people with an axe to grind against David Cameron or William Hague are blaming the UK government.

But the fact that starting World War Three is not a sensible response does not mean that we should not even express disapproval.

The delegation of Conservative MPs to the Council of Europe has suspended their membership of the European Democratic Group on the council - which also includes Putin's party - pending a motion for the council to sspend the Russian Federation from membership.

I don't see how Conservatives or representatives of any other democratic party can continue to sit in the same group as the United Russia party in present circumstances, so I think this was the right thing to do.

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