Courtesy Scotsman
by SCOTT MACNAB

ALEX Salmond today stood by controversial comments in which he appeared to pay tribute to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, insisting they were “pretty sensible” remarks.

Ukranian expatriates in Scotland have demanded a “public apology” from the First Minister, insisting his comments have provoked “hurt, disgust, betrayal and astonishment.”

Mr Salmond told GQ magazine that he admired “certain aspects” of President Putin, including how he had restored part of Russian pride, although he said he did not approve of a range of actions.

Asked today if he would retract the comments, Mr Salmond told BBC News: “No, they weren’t ill judged.

“I deprecated Russian actions, for example, in Ukraine and also the human rights record - I made that absolutely clear.

“I was pointing out the Western press had tended to underestimate Putin and I think that’s also quite clear.

“When I spoke about Russian pride, it was in the aftermath of the Sochi Olympics which I think most people would agree were well run, a success and restored Russian pride.

“They were balanced remarks and any reasonable interpretation would say they were pretty sensible as well.”

Michael Ostapko, chairman of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Scotland, has fired off an angry letter to Mr Salmond demanding an “unequivocal public apology” for the comments.

“We fail to see how you can be so effusive in admiration towards this despotic and criminally run nation whose own citizens are cowed into submission (not admiration) by arrests, assassination and rabid nationalism,”Mr Ostapko wrote.

“In this year of your own ‘independence’ aspiration, one can only fear for what kind of nation you wish to create.”