Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. It is said Russia started its war to stop Ukraine from joining Nato. With the Russian army now being bogged down in eastern Ukraine , in addition to Finland and Sweden applying to be part of Nato, it seems Russia is getting nothing but sanctions and the opposite of what it wanted from this war. Russia should heed this lesson and regret what it has done in Ukraine. However, even if Russia fails to achieve its goals and makes people wonder what was the meaning of the war, and even if Russia lacks the capability to conquer Ukraine, let alone take on Nato, Europe should realise that Finland and Sweden joining the transatlantic alliance still sends a signal to Russia that conflict is inevitable. Russia would only dispatch more soldiers and weapons to the front line and insist on taking an opposing stance. Wars will end one day, but lost trust and subconscious hostility are irreversible. Nato might think it is protecting Finland and Sweden – two countries that face no real threat at the moment – but what it is really doing is exacerbating a security dilemma. This is all fine for the United States as it is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but Europe should think more carefully. Chloe Hui, Yuen Long Russia must learn from history If people do not learn from tragedy, things can go from bad to worse. American procrastination in entering the two world wars was catastrophic as no nation can keep itself out of global conflicts. The 1915 sinking of the British-owned steamship Lusitania by a German U-boat and Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour, both of which killed hundreds of Americans, serve as a reminder to the US not to repeat that same mistake. Having learned from what it experienced, the US has adopted strategies to safeguard its political ideology and leading role in the world. Its active role in the wars in Korea and Vietnam shows its resolution. Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine is another example of the US demonstrating its unswerving course to the world. Instead of sending American troops, the US is helping the Ukrainians by providing intelligence, weapons and economic aid as a means to deter Russia’s further expansion in eastern Europe. The smaller version of the hi-tech Switchblade drone can be used to identify and attack individual soldiers or generals, as well as enable the capture of leaders, thus destroying the morale of Russian soldiers. These tactics have successfully frustrated the Russian military. Whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has learned any lessons from history is one question, but his reckless act has certainly given Russia’s neighbours a scare. Finland and Sweden, which had been neutral since World War II, recently submitted their applications to join Nato. In addition, the sinking of the Russian warship Moskva – the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet – might suggest Putin is destined to repeat the tragedy of tsar Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia. Barnaby Ieong, Macau Rethink shorter East Rail line trains I live in Tai Po, and taking the East Rail line is more than just a convenience but rather a daily necessity. After the extension of the line began operations , the working week is proving to be the ultimate test of its capability, and we are already seeing packed trains. Despite the MTR insisting its new signal system would mitigate the reduction of carriages on each train service, I have doubts whether it can ever compensate for the lost capacity, comfort and seats. It is even stranger that we are basically shortening each train to cater to shorter platforms at a small number of stations when just a month ago the stations still handled 12-carriage trains. The East Rail line will have more travellers in the long term, especially with the development of new towns in the north and the expected reopening of the border with the mainland. I hope the MTR will consider reinstating 12-carriage trains and simply have the final three carriages locked at shorter platforms while remaining accessible from within the train. Passengers who need to disembark from the last carriages could simply be asked to move forward. We can be more flexible and adapt to new circumstances. The changes would show the MTR’s agility in its core business and also strengthen its long-standing commitment to providing excellent service to Hong Kong. Henry Yau, Tai Po Animal smuggling must be stopped I refer to “Hong Kong ‘complicit’ in growing exotic pet trade with about 13,400 animals imported into city daily, environmental group warns” ( May 18 ). There is no denying Hong Kong is a logical place to do business, but this does not mean illegal enterprises can take advantage of the free-market economy and ride roughshod over the law, making Hong Kong a hotbed of animal smuggling. Animal smuggling is more dangerous to the community than we think. Recently, a wandering cobra in the neighbourhood of Wong Tai Sin was identified as a black-necked spitting cobra, one of the most lethal and venomous snakes found mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa with the ability to squirt venom at its target. In addition, Hong Kong’s ecology is being changed by exotic plants such as mikania, which attaches itself to host plants and gradually smothers them, denying them sunlight and hurting their growth. If animal smuggling is not stopped, the environment of Hong Kong will only deteriorate further. Tina Li, Kwai Chung