Stabbed in the front
Ukraine, Russia, China, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Brazil.
The five things you need to know today:
UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Kyiv’s sense of betrayal will haunt the West.
CHINA. RUSSIA. Beijing views a US-Russia win-win with trepidation.
SYRIA. RUSSIA. Moscow holds on to Tartous, for now.
ISRAEL. PALESTINE. The truce’s next phase is put in doubt as Gaza plans evolve.
BRAZIL. As Bolsonaro is charged with a coup, the president is put on trial.
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UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Scorned enemy
Kyiv’s sense of betrayal will haunt the West.
Donald Trump rebuked Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday after Ukraine's president criticised Washington's meeting with Moscow in Saudi Arabia. The talks were "positive, upbeat, constructive and very solid,” Trump adviser Steve Witkoff said.
INTELLIGENCE. Trump promised to end the war and that's what he's doing. He’s likewise made no secret of wishing to appease Vladimir Putin if that’s what it takes to stabilise Europe without US troops. But Zelensky can't simply be ignored, even if, as Trump has made clear, his political days are numbered. After Russia, Ukraine has Europe's largest army. They are battled-hardened and angry. Increasingly brazen attacks on Russian pipelines and ships continue.
FOR BUSINESS. Ukrainian anger won’t be just at the US, a capricious ally, but Europe, a feckless one. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s most sympathetic adviser, will visit Kyiv today but he’s unlikely to mollify Zelensky, whom Trump says has just a 4% approval rating. Marco Rubio has put delayed elections into the steps for a peace plan. Preparations are underway, ex-president Petro Poroshenko claims. Poroshenko was last week placed under sanctions by Zelensky.
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CHINA. RUSSIA. May you live in interesting times
Beijing views a US-Russia win-win with trepidation.
Beijing welcomed US-Russia talks Tuesday but hoped "all parties concerned and stakeholders will take part” in the process. China said Monday it wanted its ties with the European Union to provide "more stability to a turbulent world."
INTELLIGENCE. Beijing won’t jeopardise its relations with Moscow, or its hopes to end a tariff spat with Washington