Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
UKRAINE. RUSSIA. A resumption of trilateral talks is just the start.
FRANCE. Macron holds a mirror to those apportioning blame.
IRAN. The sound of rattling may not be what it seems.
UNITED NATIONS. A potential superpower proxy enters the race.
CYBERSECURITY. Fears over AI hacking mask bigger vulnerabilities.
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UKRAINE. RUSSIA. Not the end of the road
A resumption of trilateral talks is just the start.
Vladimir Putin agreed to hold three-way talks with Ukraine after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff praised Putin as a “humanitarian” after the release of an American citizen. Marco Rubio said Ukraine “wouldn’t exist” without the US.
INTELLIGENCE. Kyiv is under pressure to concede to Putin’s demands, as Washington looks to a potential Yalta-style summit with Moscow and Beijing, and Brussels looks to salvage what geopolitical heft it can retain in a spheres-of-influence world. This, ironically, may give Volodymyr Zelensky leverage of his own, particularly as US politicians cry foul over what appears to be another pre-midterms act of desperation by Donald Trump as yet more missiles hit Kyiv.
FOR BUSINESS. Ukraine isn’t winning the war, but by denying Russia victory (at least without US assistance) it can seek better terms. It’s unclear whether these will include NATO guarantees (for whatever they’re still worth under Trump) but that may be a quid pro quo if Russia gets the rest of Donetsk. In the meantime, the US will likely continue to throttle intelligence. And while Europe still claims solidarity, Poland and Slovakia are showing signs of wavering.
FRANCE. Je suis avec stupide
Macron holds a mirror to those apportioning blame.
Emmanuel Macron said foreign criticism of recent riots was “stupid” as Trump warned Midwesterners the same could happen to them and Russia urged France to “close your borders”. Italy sent 500 troops to Milan to control its own riots.
INTELLIGENCE. Paris isn’t the only place on fire, with protests from Lisbon to Tirana.