Trump and Musk could – and should
President Zelensky is to be congratulated on keeping his cool in the face of unjustified and defamatory tirades from the ill-informed mouths of Donald Trump and Elon Musk (' Musk accuses Ukraine leader Zelensky of 'feeding off the dead bodies of soldiers' in vicious rant on X,' Friday 21 February). Enraged at the apparent temerity of Zelensky's refusal to give away half his country's resources, Trump and Musk are now attempting to outdo each other in venting their apoplectic spleens – hurling false accusations and gratuitous insults at a man whose valiant leadership has kept the Russians at bay for three long and bloody years.
Have Trump and Musk become so intoxicated by their own status, power, and wealth that they have lost the ability to reason and empathise, and separate fact from the tumult of poisonous fiction invading their minds? Why do these supposedly great people resort to such offensive onslaughts against an ally, rather than provide all the help they can? Do they perhaps feel eclipsed by the attention and approbation heaped upon this modest yet courageous wartime leader, whose people have been treated so cruelly by Vladimir Putin.
Now having to defend on two fronts, Putin in the East and Trump in the West, President Zelensky continues to acquit himself with honour, valour and forbearance. Trump and Musk could learn a great deal from this man, but that would require a little more humility and honesty on their part.
Never again?
Who in 1945 could imagine there would be such shameful headlines (" German election 2025 live updates: Voting begins after final poll predicts large gains for AfD," Sunday 23 February) just a few months short of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany?
Who would have predicted that so many, in Germany of all places, were willing to give fascism another chance?
Sasha Simic
London
'First they came for the Communists/ Socialists/ Trade Unionists/ Jews
'And I did not speak out because I was not a Communist/Socialist/ Trade Unionist/Jew.
'Then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak out for me.'
Let's hope Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron are mindful of Martin Niemoeller's words written in 1946. Otherwise, some very unpleasant people might come for all of us.
Sue Breadner
Douglas, Isle of Man
Give water customers a voice
Recently Thames Water was allowed, by the High Court, to borrow a further £3 billion to shore up its failing company (' Fury as 'profit-thirsty zombie' Thames Water kept afloat by £3bn bailout,' Tuesday 18 February). However, its customers were not consulted.
Since it will be its customers who have to bear the pain of servicing this loan, and ultimately responsible for repayment, isn't it a travesty of justice not to seek their approval before committing to further borrowing?
The company have a long history of financial mismanagement, lack of adequate planning to bring the eye-watering debt under control and continuance of treating the company as a cash cow.
What good is OFWAT if it allows Thames Water to borrow huge amounts of money which could, eventually, cause it to become insolvent?
Keith Poole
Basingstoke, Hampshire
The cost of war
Karen Marnie is right that we must never lose sight of the apocalyptic scenes of death and destruction in Ukraine (' Letters,' Friday 21 February). Dead bodies piled over each other in the streets. Refugees are crammed in squalid areas. Aerial bombardments have hit even hospitals and civilian infrastructures, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis and placing the lives of thousands of innocent civilians at grave risk. Millennia-old monuments were attacked, robbing us of the treasures of human civility. It is time for this senseless shedding of innocent blood to stop.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London
Re your Mea Culpa today (Sunday 23 February) about sending an astronaut 'bound for Mercury,' which I also noticed but didn't report (mea culpa!).
You state that Mercury is 192 million miles from Earth, but the Sun itself is only 93 million miles from Earth. A little solar system training called for?
Dr Mark Vaughn
Blewbury, Oxfordshire
Errors in corrections always spark a debate. Mercury is only 48 million miles from Earth at perihelion, not 192 million. Even at aphelion, it's only 132 million miles.
Simon Tomsett
Pagham, Sussex
To have a letter considered for publication, email your thoughts on topics covered in The Independent to letters@independent.co.uk. Please include your name, full address and contact phone number. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker banned from Jewish friend's memorial after BBC exit forced U-turn
The son of Jewish football journalist Brian Glanville, who passed away last month, has said he won't allow Gary Lineker "anywhere near" his father's memorial service after his recent post on zionism The son of Brian Glanville has said that he won't let Gary Lineker"anywhere near" his father's memorial due to his contentious remarks about Israel. Glanville was a highly respected football journalist who died at 93 last month, becoming friends with Lineker during his early playing career at Leicester City. The Glanvilles had contemplated inviting Lineker to give an address at St Bride's Church on Fleet Street in London in memory of the veteran journalist, who was Jewish. However, plans for Lineker's involvement were abandoned after he sparked controversy by reposting a video on anti-Zionism featuring an image of a rat, leading to his accelerated exit from the BBC. Mark Glanville said: "I can't have somebody coming to speak at my dad's memorial service who, though not anti-Semitic, is someone who is giving ammunition to people who are anti-Semites. Once you share a picture of a rat which is associated with Nazis, you really are crossing a line." Nazi propaganda infamously used rat imagery to vilify Jews, and Mark noted that his father would not have approved of Lineker participating in the service despite respecting his talents on the pitch and as a presenter of Match Of The Day, reports the Daily Record. Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mark shared how the Holocaust left a profound impression on his father, born in 1931, who also faced anti-Jewish bigotry while attending Charterhouse School in Surrey. He said: "Dad was passionate about Israel. "He was a schoolboy during the Second World War but he was aware of what happened. He saw Israel, after all the utter horror, like so many Jews, as a country that was Jewish and where Jews could thrive as Jews and be safe. "I do not think Lineker is anti-Semite. But he does single out almost exclusively Israel, as so many people do, with the type of criticism that gives no context of what happened on October 7 and what has triggered it all. "As he is such a major public figure, he is lending a lot of fuel to people who have a very different agenda and who really don't just hate Israel, but also detest Jews. I believe Lineker really cares about issues but I wish he would talk about what is going on in Syria, in Sudan and with women in Afghanistan." Reflecting on his father's legacy, Mark added: "We felt that for a man of such stature, dad deserved a proper memorial service and my sister suggested inviting Gary Lineker to speak, saying that he had really loved dad's work. But I said that while this was undoubtedly the case, loads of other people were admirers of dad's work as well. "I then said there was no way Lineker was coming anywhere near it. She was very understanding as I explained that in my view Lineker was an exceptionally talented footballer and that is where it should have stayed." At 64, Lineker was already due to step down from Match of the Day at the end of the season, though it was intended he would continue to cover the FA Cup and World Cup for the BBC. Despite his firm stance that he "would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic", his exit from the Corporation occurred last month after the row concerning the depiction of a rat. He said: "However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Elon Musk and Donald Trump 'back together' as Tesla CEO extends olive branch
Elon Musk and Donald Trump had a spectacular falling out which had been building as the tech billionaire attacked the US president's "big beautiful bill" for several days Elon Musk appeared to extend an olive branch to Donald Trump in a social media post over the LA protests fuelling speculation that they could be soon 'back together'. The tech billionaire's 'bromance' with Donald Trump came to a fiery end last week in an ugly online spat between the pair on Thursday after several days where Musk had been criticising the US government over the president's "big beautiful bill". Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts and the tech billionaire claimed that US government hasn't released all the records related to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein because Trump is mentioned in them. There is no suggestion Trump knew of any crimes or participated in any criminal behaviour. But several days later it seems as though tempers have cooled and Trump shared on X a photo of Trump's Truth Social post calling out California Governor Gavin Newsom over his handling of the current trouble in Los Angeles. The post by Trump demands that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass should "apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots." He added: "These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!" In addition to Trump, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency also shared a post by Vice President JD Vance, who said: "This moment calls for decisive leadership. The president will not tolerate rioting and violence." Musk added with his post two American flags. It has left many wondering whether this could mean an end to the war between the pair. "So are y'all besties again or...," one person wrote on social media. "You're doing the Seinfeld episode where George pretends he didn't rage quit his job. I'm for it," a second person stated. "Elon and Trump will be back together by the end of the week," a third person said. "Aren't you guys still fighting? " a fourth person laughed. The messy blow-up between the president of the United States and the world 's richest man played out on their respective social media platforms after Trump was asked during a White House meeting with Germany's new leader about Musk's criticism of his spending bill. Trump had largely remained silent as Musk stewed over the last few days on his social media platform X, condemning the president's so-called 'big beautiful bill.' But Trump clapped back Thursday in the Oval Office, saying he was 'very disappointed in Musk.' Musk responded on social media in real time. Trump, who was supposed to be spending Thursday discussing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, ratcheted up the stakes when he turned to his own social media network, Truth Social, and threatened to use the US government to hurt Musk's bottom line by going after contracts held by his internet company Starlink and rocket company SpaceX. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' Trump wrote on his social media network. 'Go ahead, make my day,' Musk quickly replied on X. Hours later, Musk announced SpaceX would begin decommissioning the spacecraft it used to carry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station for NASA. He later stepped back from making this call and his apparent move to make up with Trump comes as Tesla stocks have crashed.
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Ukraine plots fracking revolution
Ukraine is working to unleash natural gas fracking with the goal of becoming a major exporter and revolutionising Europe's energy market. In plans critical to Volodymyr Zelensky's hopes of a post-war economic recovery, ministers in Kyiv are scrambling to lure private investment and gain access to new drilling technology to access the country's vast untapped shale gas resources. According to sources close to Kyiv, officials are racing to attract 'foreign technology and highly experienced subsoil users', with a focus on unconventional shale resources in western Ukraine. The hunt for cash - as revealed by the independent news platform Energy Flux - is being conducted in parallel to the rare earth minerals deal struck between Donald Trump and President Zelensky in April, which will allow the US to exploit Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminium, graphite, oil and natural gas. The priority is to rapidly revitalise Ukraine's ailing gas sector after a gruelling winter saw roughly 40pc of production capacity taken out by a fierce Russian campaign of drone and missile strikes. The attacks forced Ukraine to draw heavily on its gas stocks, which ended winter almost entirely depleted. But Ukraine's Ministry of Energy believes it is possible to refill the country's cavernous underground storage facilities and even produce a surplus for export 'within 18 months', according to a senior government source. LNG reliance Ukraine already has some experience with advanced drilling technology for old wells and has since carried out experimental trials that 'confirm its potential' for fracking, they said. However, to unlock Ukraine's shale reserves, the country needs to attract more investment and newer kit, primarily from America. 'Development and production can be quickly developed using available gas infrastructure with connections to the EU gas market that make it very attractive,' the source added. 'Ukraine has enough deposits of traditional gas to cover its own consumption and to become a net exporter, and shale gas production has quite a profound effect on its development.' Such a turnaround would help transform the fortunes of Europe's energy markets, which remain on edge following the loss of Russian pipeline gas exports via Ukraine at the start of 2025. Refilling Ukraine's depleted gas storage – the largest in Europe, at 32bn cubic metres – is one of the main factors tightening energy markets in Central and Eastern Europe ahead of next winter. Ukraine's gas stocks are today just 7pc full compared to the EU average of 50pc. Efforts to pipe natural gas from Southern and Eastern Europe into Ukraine have also been thwarted by red tape and a lack of market cohesion. However, if Ukraine could unleash its own shale revolution and create a surplus for export, the need to keep pumping European gas into Ukraine would effectively disappear overnight. It would also help reduce Europe's reliance on costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from overseas. Gas-starved Europe leaned heavily on LNG after Gazprom, the Kremlin-backed energy giant, halted exports to the EU following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian shale gas exports, if scaled up quickly, would erase a large chunk of European energy demand currently being met by LNG, potentially sparking a sharp drop in energy prices around the world. Attracting foreign investors However, Kyiv's proposed fracking revolution hinges largely on the country's ability to secure overseas investment. Officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Energy are tapping Western diplomatic ties to find private capital funds with a high tolerance for risk to bankroll drilling and bring in technology partners. A senior government team attended the Baku Energy Forum in Azerbaijan last week in part to promote Ukraine's potential as a shale hub. Speaking at the event, one high-ranking statesman said the Lviv-Lublin geological area that straddles the Ukraine-Poland border is 'superior on the Ukrainian side' thanks to higher porosity and lower clay content, making it 'better for fracking'. The most promising prospect is the Oleska (Olesskaya) shale block, which contains an estimated 0.8 to 1.5 trillion cubic metres of shale gas resources – enough to meet Ukraine's domestic needs for decades. How much of this resource is economically recoverable is an open question. Chevron walked away from a 50pc interest in the Oleska project in 2014 before drilling could begin. Chevron's stated reason for leaving was not because of political instability or lack of resources, but rather Kyiv's failure to enact specific tax reforms necessary to enable shale gas foreign investment. Now, the Zelensky administration is moving to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic hurdles that previously deterred foreign investors. Ownership of the Olesskaya production sharing agreement (PSA) was transferred in April 2025 from government holding company Nadra Ukraine to Ukraine's largest oil and gas producer, Ukrnafta. The move signalled a strategic shift in the country's approach to fracking, particularly in the Oleska block. Ukrnafta is a state-owned enterprise following the nationalisation of strategic industries and declaration of martial law in 2022, which remains in force to this day. Attracting significant private capital into Ukrainian shale exploration would normally be impossible under these circumstances. However, the source said there are laws in place to ensure they can be overwritten.
