Great Game of Grandfather Chicken

Thailand, Cambodia, the EU, China, Ukraine, Russia, France, and the US.

Illustration from a Thai horoscope manual (Phrommachāt), 19th century, shelfmark Or.13650, folio 11, British Library, London.

Hello,

Here are the five things you need to know today:

• THAILAND. CAMBODIA. A new flight, old scores, and ancient temples.

• EUROPEAN UNION. CHINA. A frosty meeting amid competition for second place.

• UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Zelensky seeks a summit amid mounting crises at home.

• FRANCE. Retailleau deserts a sinking ship.

• UNITED STATES. Trump’s mud-slinging could have economic impact.

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THAILAND. CAMBODIA. Fowl play

A new flight, old scores, and ancient temples.

A Thai F-16 bombed military targets inside Cambodia Thursday after soldiers clashed at the Prasat Ta Muen Thom (Great Temple of Grandfather Chicken) on the border. Both sides earlier accused each other of laying landmines there.

INTELLIGENCE. Ta Muen Thom is around 170km west of the Preah Vihear temple, another Khmer temple both sides have disputed for decades. The latest flare-up began in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed, prompting fresh litigation at the International Court of Justice. The incident led to a leaked phone call between Thailand's prime minister, since suspended, and Cambodia's former leader. It plays into a wider rift between the region's top families.

FOR BUSINESS. Prior to the Ta Muen Thom incident, the Thai Baht had reached a three-year high on hopes of a US trade deal, similar to those reached by Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. But Thailand's toxic politics will endure irrespective. An irrational spat between Thailand and Cambodia's top political dynasties is not only escalating, but giving hardliners within Thailand's gerontocratic military establishment another excuse to call a long-feared coup.

Geopolitical Dispatch is the daily client briefing of Geopolitical Strategy. Our team of former diplomats and intelligence officials help businesses and investors around the world map, monitor and manage geopolitical risks.

EUROPEAN UNION. CHINA. Runner-up takes it all

A frosty meeting amid competition for second place.

Ursula von der Leyen told Xi Jinping Thursday that EU-China ties were at an "inflection point" during the 50^th year of diplomatic relations. Vice Premier He Lifeng would visit Sweden for talks with the US, China's commerce ministry said.

INTELLIGENCE. The meeting was supposed to awaken a shared commitment to a