Running down the clock
Ukraine, Russia, Tajikistan, Venezuela, Honduras, and Peru.
Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Putin spends time with Kushner and Witkoff.
TAJIKISTAN. A new great game in the high Pamirs.
VENEZUELA. Congressional RINOs could mean Caribbean TACOs.
HONDURAS. A dodgy election looks even dodgier.
PERU. Who’d want to be president?
And don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn.
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UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Amateur hours
Putin spends time with Kushner and Witkoff.
Five hours of talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys ended early Wednesday, but no “compromises” had been found, the Kremlin said. Criticising European efforts to “sabotage” talks, Putin said Russia was “ready” for war.
INTELLIGENCE. Brussels is a useful scapegoat for Moscow, which has long wanted to divide it from Washington. But Europe is unlikely to feature prominently in either Russia’s peace or war plans. Like Kyiv, Moscow will be focused on economic repair once the fighting ends. And while Putin will use the Western bogeyman for as long as he stays in power, his military deficiencies in the Donbas would be minor compared to those if he invaded Poland or the Baltics.
FOR BUSINESS. Putin will likely agree to most of the US’s proposal, which is likely most of what Russia proposed first. Keeping Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner circling is simply good optics and a way to eke further gains (as were the optics of China’s foreign minister waiting in a room outside). The effort may be working. Marco Rubio will skip today’s NATO meeting. Many got excited when Moscow tweeted a clumsy AI video of a “Trump-Putin” train to Alaska.
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TAJIKISTAN. ‘stan off
A new great game in the high Pamirs.
Tajikistan wanted Russia to provide troops along the Afghan border, Reuters said Tuesday. Five Chinese were killed by “malicious elements” the Taliban vowed to investigate. Indian media claimed Russia suspected Pakistan’s responsibility.
INTELLIGENCE. The killing of five Chinese engineers, allegedly by bandits, may