Last Post: Ukraine deal must be struck amid multi-faceted reality

It’s one thing not to poke the Russian bear, it’s quite another to cuddle it.

Roseanne Schneider, Toowoomba, Qld

JD Vance and DJ Trump – back to back in a vacuum devoid of elegance, good manners and diplomacy, and thus epitomising the ugly American. Time to change the caps to MAUA?

Natalie Rutherford, Broadview, SA

Two things can be true at the same time. Putin can be bad and Zelensky can also be bad. A third thing is also true: that the blind backing of Zelensky means prolonging a war with continuing death on both sides. There is also a President who wants peace and no more deaths. It should be an easy choice but many appear to want the war and killing to continue.

James Hein, Hackney, SA

You can’t get much nastier than pausing all military aid to Ukraine, but Trump has done that.

Penni Seignior, Mudgeeraba, Qld

Two showmen, one endearing, the other boorish, enrage the commentariat, but the outcome, in drawing Europe into finally protecting its eastern flank, ranks as outstanding realpolitik.

Clive Powell, Northbridge, NSW

Only Trump could be so vicious as to arbitrarily cut off aid to Ukraine, a country fighting against an authoritarian regime, and which now finds itself fighting with another would-be authoritarian regime, the US.

Kaye Neale, Upper Hermitage, SA

Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine must be heartened by

Anthony Albanese’s “support” for democracy. Is it the same “support” Albanese and Penny Wong failed to give Israel, our democratic ally, and our Australian Jews? Perhaps they can explain why “standing with Ukraine” is different from “standing with Israel”.

Mary-Anne Higgins, Rose Park, SA

Donald Trump is making America grate.

John McHarg, Maylands, WA

It’s very likely the Chinese naval vessels exercising in the Tasman Sea were built with Australian coal and iron ore. Effectively, we could be arming a potential enemy.

Frank Reade, Macquarie, ACT

Albo has his Future Made In Australia, his Agriculture Minister, Julie Collins, has Feeding Australia, his Housing Minister has Homes for Australia, while they are all “delivering cost-of-living relief”. It seems to be a government by slogans.

Alexander Haege, Tamarama, NSW