THE Russian shock invasion of Ukraine was, for many of us, our worst nightmare come true. We watched for weeks as Putin amassed his troops along the borders of its peaceable European neighbour but few believed he would be brutal – or stupid – enough to actually send the tanks in. However, that is exactly what he did, along with transport planes carrying military supplies – powered by engines made in Oxford’s twin town of Perm.

The news from Ukraine has grown steadily worse over the past week. The sheer brutality of the assault has left us feeling helpless but also alarmed at the possibility of a wider escalation. The dreadful news that Russia’s nuclear arsenal has been placed on alert has suddenly brought the conflict closer to home. So to has the spectre of a hitherto unforeseen horror: the threat of radiation releases from bombed nuclear power plants.

Read again: City council pauses Perm twinning link... for now

Here in Oxford, the refusal of our city council – even in the face of strong opposition – to consider severing its tainted links with Perm, made many of us deeply uncomfortable. While governments, businesses, sports organisations and media groups cut ties with Russia in protest at its action, our council leader instead threatened to... write a letter!

“We will be writing to Perm to express our condemnation of the Russian government and our support for brave peace activists in Russia,” she said.

If it were not so offensive, it would be laughable.

While local people grew more outraged – with the name of Perm blacked off in tape from at least one entrance to the city yesterday morning – the council continued to dither.

Only when the Oxford Mail brought to the council’s attention its twin city’s dark role in the war, demanding to know what it would take for it to act, did it begin to take note.

Five and-a-half hours later it relented – a press officer informing us that it would be temporarily pausing its friendship link.

The council once again found itself hopelessly out of touch with the people of Oxford, and was shamed into action – going into panic mode on a Friday evening with an embarrassing U-turn.

The short-term severance of Oxford’s tainted ties with Perm will make little difference to the long suffering people of Ukraine, of course, but it sends out a strong message that Russia’s evil actions are not being carried out in our name.

Why it took so long, though, is a question you’ll have to ask your city council.

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