Policy

Trump tells European leaders US could provide security guarantees for Ukraine
Still, any guarantee Trump backs is likely to fall short of what Europe and Ukraine have sought from Washington.

Allies, in jab at Trump, threaten not to buy F-35s

EU leaders sound upbeat after Ukraine call with Trump. They could be in for a rude awakening.

‘Severe consequences’: Trump warns Putin ahead of Alaska summit

Russian hackers took control of Norwegian dam, police chief says

David Lammy makes rod for own back after unlicensed fishing with JD Vance

Trump agreed only Ukraine can negotiate territorial concessions, Macron says
European leaders optimistic Trump listened to them on Ukraine ceasefire
But U.S. president “as always, talked a lot about what he would do, but in a way that no one could say what exactly he was going to do,” official tells POLITICO.
Relying on AI in colonoscopies risks eroding doctors’ skills, study warns
Routine use of AI technology can cause the ability of specialists to detect precancerous growths to decline by a fifth, authors conclude.
US says UK human rights record worsening thanks to online safety regime
The U.S. State Department blamed the U.K.’s Online Safety Act for chilling free speech, but got bits of the Act wrong.
Iran faces renewed sanctions if nuclear talks don’t resume ASAP
France, Germany and the U.K. warn they will trigger the Iran nuclear deal’s snapback mechanism by the end of August unless direct talks with Tehran restart.
French effort to create fresh state of New Caledonia collapses
Pro-independence group moves to scuttle a deal that Paris hoped would cool tensions in the Pacific Ocean island chain.
EU’s appetite for debt sets up fight with ‘frugal’ countries
Brussels used the latest EU budget to shore up its power to issue bonds, setting up a fight with countries including Germany.
Summer book picks to escape the EU bubble
The world might be on fire, but the EU institutions are on summer break.
Europe will lose if it punishes Israel over Gaza, envoy warns
Outgoing Ambassador in Brussels Haim Regev tells POLITICO “it is not safe” to be a Jew in Europe.
Britain’s unelected lawmakers risk public fury in delaying assisted dying
The House of Lords starts scrutinizing the divisive legislation next month. There’s no guarantee peers will follow MPs and back it.
Trump is talking to European leaders about his Putin meeting. They may still not get a say.
The president has shifted closer to NATO on Ukraine in recent months, and the upcoming meeting with Putin will be a test of that.
19 EU countries condemn Israel’s ‘restrictive’ aid rules in Gaza
Statement, also signed by countries including Canada, Japan and the U.K., ramps up pressure on Israel over starvation in Gaza.
Ukraine’s asks in Alaska: A lasting ceasefire, security guarantees and billions in Russian payments
Kyiv is afraid to be left out of negotiations, while Trump might strengthen Putin just as Russia is beginning to feel the strain of the war.
Poland freezes Covid cash payouts after swingers’ club and yacht storm
Donald Tusk’s government vowed that “every złoty will be checked,” blaming the former Law and Justice administration for forcing a rushed rollout.
Ukraine won’t give up Donbas, Zelenskyy vows
Handing Donbas to Russia without security guarantees will gift Putin a springboard for future invasion, Ukraine’s president says.
EU to hold trade talks with key Pacific bloc, says New Zealand’s finance minister
LONDON — New Zealand and the U.K. are keen to see the EU do more trade with a key Pacific bloc as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs …
Far-right AfD tops German popularity ranking in bombshell new survey
Between Alternative for Germany and France’s National Rally, populists continue to rise in Europe’s most powerful countries.
Czech leader’s Dalai Lama visit sparks Chinese fury
Petr Pavel triggers Beijing (again).
Israeli military takeover of Gaza would be ‘catastrophic,’ EU commissioner warns
Criticism mounts over Benjamin Netanyahu’s intensifying assault on the coastal enclave.
‘Trusting Trump’s instincts’: White House sets modest expectations ahead Putin summit
Even as the president has repeatedly groused about Putin’s “bullshit” and double talk, the administration believes Putin has given signs that demonstrate this time is different.
Russia pierces Ukrainian defense in Donetsk
Moscow is redeploying troops and preparing for new assaults with no sign of a ceasefire in sight, Kyiv’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
Trump extends US-China trade truce for another 90 days
The administration is increasingly seeking to fold non-tariff-related trade disputes into trade negotiations.
Lagarde’s ‘euro moment’ busted by dollar-linked stablecoins
European officials fear any hopes of the euro becoming a serious contender to the American currency will be quashed.
Bitter feud over bribe-convicted central banker deepens Slovakia’s budget woes
Prime Minister Robert Fico is trying to force out Slovak bank Governor Peter Kažimír and install his current finance minister.
China’s new ‘Air Silk Road’ brings thousands of tons of goods from Xinjiang to Europe
More than 40 freight routes now connect Europe to the region, where Beijing is accused of subjecting the Uyghur ethnic group to forced labor.