Best of BS Opinion: Trump's power, Ukraine's struggle, and space dreams

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Have you ever tried to catch a fish in your village river, or anywhere else? Fishing without a net or rod is an art — one that demands patience, precision, and a little luck. The fish is right there, moving under the surface, but it slips through your fingers the moment you make your move. Whether it’s war, politics, space, or survival itself, the world today feels like a relentless attempt to grasp the elusive. Let’s dive in. 

Andreas Kluth examines Ukraine’s struggle for security in an increasingly indifferent world. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaches for NATO membership, but each time, it wriggles away. And a firm American security guarantee remains out of reach. As Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance echo Kremlin narratives, European efforts alone may lack the bite to deter Russia. History suggests that without a credible deterrent, a ceasefire is just an illusion, a fish that might never be caught. 

Meanwhile, Mihir S Sharma dissects the transformation of Trump’s second term — this time, he isn’t merely splashing around but fully submerged in reshaping the US. Unlike his first stint, where chaos dictated governance, Trump 2.0 is calculated. His ideological leanings now align more with Moscow than with traditional allies, making it clear that he isn’t trying to catch the same fish; he’s fishing in an entirely different pond. 

Shekhar Gupta writes that as the world shifts, India finds itself in a precarious balancing act — managing its place between the US, Russia, and China, all while safeguarding its own interests. The question is, can it hold onto the fish without getting pulled into the water? 

But while Earth’s battles continue, humanity keeps trying to grasp something even more slippery — space. Devangshu Datta writes on private moon missions pushing lunar exploration forward. Texas-based Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace have landed new craft on the Moon. They’re drilling for ice, deploying networks, and testing radiation-resistant tech. Commercial viability may be uncertain, but the knowledge gained could reshape how we navigate the cosmos. The fish, for now, is just beneath the surface. 

And then there’s Mars — the ultimate prize, or perhaps the ultimate folly. Atanu Biswas explores Elon Musk’s ambition to build a Martian city by 2050. The idea is dazzling, but is it within grasp? With costs soaring past $1 billion per tonne of payload, public scepticism is growing. The reality? Most people wouldn’t leave Earth even if safety was guaranteed.  

Stay tuned!