Terence Murtagh, Fleetwood, Lancashire:
“Dear Mr Ambassador,
Just to say that your country and people are in my thoughts at this
difficult time for you. Be brave and strong , you are not alone.
Pray for the Ukraine.”
Dr Brian Eyden, Manchester:
"Dear Ambassador
I am an ordinary British citizen, but one with professional contacts in the former eastern European bloc. Like many people, l am also very concerned at current developments in your country. I simply want to express my moral support for your country and the Ukrainian people in their struggle to maintain Ukraine's territorial integrity in the face of a larger and more powerful neighbour.
I feel sure there are many people in Britain who have the same sentiments of support for Ukraine as expressed here even though they may not be writing to you."
Gregory Barry, an Australian Citizen, living in Britain, in awe of your resolve and bravery:
"I am writing simply to commend you and your citizens on the resolve and integrity that you have shown throughout this troubling period in your country.
My knowledge of the events comes solely from the media however what astounds me is the restraint and respect for you country that your citizens have shown.
The restraint that your citizens have shown in the face of adversity and aggression sets an fine example for every nation in the world.
Aggression is always fought with aggression in this world and your citizens must be commended on their bravery and resolve. Not one person has responded with aggression to your occupiers and you as a nation in the period of change have charged your duties with dignity."
Paul P Burns, Preston Lancs:
"Dear Mr.Ambassador,
God Bless the Ukraine…
I have only seen two heroes in my life time…
The First Hero was the man who in spite of the presence of all those Washington DC Firefighters jumped into the frozen Potomac to rescue the flight attendant from the downed aircraft…greater love hath no man…
The Second Hero was unarmed Colonel Yuli Mamchor who marched forward with his courageous motely squad, on all our peaceful behalf as we cheered him on to face down the might of the Red Army. He knew and we knew he could at that moment die.
Such a Patriot and so devoted to his Ukraine; his Flag ;and his Duty.
What followed on the ground did not matter. He maintained control and far away from the true heroes on both sides at that moment of real history a thug called Putin blinked.
From that defining moment it was all over….…greater love hath no man…
The Ukraine and we owe the Colonel so much but the least we and you can do is to give him a new uniform and replace his badly worn shirt. He deserves so much more.
Peace be with Ukraine from an Irishman who understands oppression and war. I raise my hand in salute".
Peter Emerson, Belfast:
"Dear Ambassador Khandogiy and Ambassador Reva,
May I start by quoting Sarajevo's now legendary newspaper, Oslobodjenje: "all the wars in the former Yugoslavia started with a referendum," (7.2.1999).
The simplistic yes-or-no referendum is a tool of division, of provocation. It is a blunt instrument which either creates divisions in society, that or exacerbates those which already exist. In the border poll of 1972 in Northern Ireland, the Catholics organised a boycott, the Protestants won by a Stalinist 97%, the violence of the troubles continued. In Croatia in 1991, the Orthodox abstained; while in the Krajina, the Catholics stayed at home; the result was war. One year later, in Bosnia, the Orthodox abstained again, and on the day of the vote, the barricades went hop in Sarajevo. A similar picture is painted in the Caucasus: the majority votes in favour, because they know they are going to win; the minority abstains, or boycotts, or resorts to (more) violence.
For reasons unstated, the British and Irish media do not criticise majority voting. The call for a referendum in Crimea, however, should be regarded as an act of provocation, of animosity. It will lead - indeed, it has already led - to other calls for such votes on secession, in Donetsk and Kharkiv. Matryoshka nationalism, to give it its Russian name. May I strongly recommend a more inclusive voting procedure: a multi-option preference vote, such as the Modified Borda Count? At least, with a multi-option ballot, compromise options might also be listed on the ballot paper.
May I also suggest that any electoral system should also be of the non-adversarial variety. Looking back, it can be said that the winner-takes-all-loser-gets-nothing nature of the Timoshenko-v-Yanukovich and, before that, the Yushchenko-v-Yanukovich presidential elections, were actually part of the problem, turning that which was a small divide into a much bigger one. At the very least, as originally in the United States, the system could have allowed the winner to be president, and the runner-up the vice. At most...
I hope I am not too late to help."