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Here are the five things you need to know today:
UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Putin stalls a meeting via maximalist demands.
ASIA. UNITED STATES. Trump’s regional tour comes into view.
SAUDI ARABIA. Ahead of a visit, MBS weighs the price of security.
TUNISIA. Environmental protests pose a test in febrile times.
CAMEROON. As Biya declares himself winner, a pushback begins.
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UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Clock block
Putin stalls a meeting via maximalist demands.
Plans for a Budapest summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were put on hold Tuesday as officials pointed to cancelled talks between Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov. Moscow said its conditions for peace remained unchanged.
INTELLIGENCE. Some in the Kremlin, including investment chief Kirill Dmitriev, claim summit preparations are still ongoing, but Moscow again appears to be playing for time. Having achieved a Senate stay on sanctions, and fresh US reluctance to back a G7 plan to disburse frozen Russian assets, Putin may feel he’s already got all he can hope for. Believing the momentum is in his favour, Putin will use the additional window to try and seize more land by force.
FOR BUSINESS. Europe will be relieved a meeting on EU territory no longer looks likely. Brussels is reportedly working on an alternative arrangement, whereby Russia agrees to a ceasefire in exchange for a gradual lifting of sanctions, but this too seems a non-starter. As winter approaches, Putin may feel he can get more on the battlefield than at the negotiating table. His only risk is that Trump makes good on his numerous threats to inflict true economic pain.
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ASIA. UNITED STATES. Pivot points
Trump’s regional tour comes into view.
Donald Trump said Tuesday he expected to “make a good deal” with Xi Jinping at APEC this month but “maybe it won’t happen”. The president said he would also visit Japan for a bilateral meeting and Malaysia for the East Asia Summit.
INTELLIGENCE. Even if a meeting with Xi doesn’t materialise, Trump’s overdue