Letter: Russia's fault

Paul Colston lists reasons against the expansion of Nato (Letters, 30 March). If the Russian Federation had been contrite towards those countries which had suffered from Soviet Russian excesses, they would have had no desire to join Nato.

The Baltic states were occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, involving the "elimination" of anti-Soviet (ie Russian) "elements" - hundreds of thousands were killed or deported. The removed were replaced by Russian-speaking settlers. The present rulers in Moscow are still using these settlers, particularly against Estonia and Latvia, with threats of economic sanctions if its bidding is ignored, and occupation if these countries join Nato.

A few more examples of "non-aggressive" Russian actions: Hungary 1956, Czechoslovakia 1968, Afghanistan 1980, Chechnya 1994.

A V Ozolins

Latvia National Council in Great Britain, London W2