Alaska summitU.S. President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska has only highlighted the danger of treating diplomacy like a property deal. Mr. Trump’s advice to Ukraine — “make a deal, Russia is very big and they’re not” — trivialises a war over sovereignty and security. Peace is built painstakingly, with credibility, trust, and sustained negotiation.A mediator must inspire confidence in both parties, not issue threats or headlines. He must present multiple frameworks — Plan A, B, and C — so that compromise feels like balance, not capitulation. Mr. Trump leans on bluster and boasts. His oft-repeated claim that he “stopped the India–Pakistan war” was flatly questioned in India. If such exaggerations define his approach, why should Ukrainians or Europeans trust him with their future? Unless Mr. Trump proves he can deliver more than theatrics, his “deal-making” will remain posturing, not peace-making.Gopalaswamy J.,ChennaiOn GovernorsThe central government’s rigorous defence of State Governors is strange. Perhaps the government should also care to explain the phenomenon of only Governors in Opposition-ruled States turning into a thorn in the flesh for democratically-elected State governments. Almost every Opposition-ruled State has been pointing an accusing finger against the Governor, accusing them of being driven by an agenda and hindering development in the respective State.C.V. Aravind,BengaluruPublished - August 18, 2025 12:24 am IST