America first, Europe last
Trump trade deal marks Europe's capitulation
Diego Faßnacht argues that the new EU-US trade agreement, hailed by Brussels as a path to stability, actually codifies Europe's economic subordination to Washington, outsourcing its defense, energy, and industrial policy at a time of escalating global tensions.
Putin under pressure as Trump eyes secondary sanctions
James Davis reports that the Ukraine crisis is entering a more volatile phase with Trump's public disavowal of Putin ending a nascent US-Russia rapprochement. Kremlin insiders reportedly fear Trump will impose sweeping secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian energy.
In Japan, unwritten deals and unsettled leadership
Scott Foster assesses that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is likely to survive mounting internal pressure to resign. Meanwhile, trade tensions with the US are drawing concern, as Japan has avoided formalizing a recent deal with Washington.
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