What you need to know

Trump claims Ukraine, Russia to begin ceasefire talks after call with Putin

President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for two hours on Monday morning and announced that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin negotiations toward a ceasefire and an “end to the war.”

The call followed Russia’s largest drone assault on Ukraine since the start of the conflict, with strikes targeting multiple regions including Kyiv. At least one woman was killed.

Trump has recently grown more impatient with what he sees as Putin’s intransigence and refusal to pursue a negotiated settlement.

Putin reiterated his longstanding position that a peace agreement must “remove the root causes of this crisis”. This is a formula that should be interpreted as calling for a sharp reduction in Western influence in Ukraine in exchange for greater Russian sway over Kyiv and control of Ukraine’s eastern provinces.

Trump said he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before his call with Putin. On Sunday, Trump also spoke with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland.

Last week, Ukraine and Russia held their first direct talks since 2022.

The discussions yielded the largest prisoner exchange of the war and broached terms for a potential ceasefire. However, Russia dispatched a low-ranking delegation to the talks in Türkiye, suggesting it was still not treating peace negotiations with sufficient seriousness.

Birth pangs in the birthplace of civilization

UK, Canada, and France threaten Israel with sanctions over Gaza

The United Kingdom, Canada, and France warned Israel on Monday that they would impose sanctions if humanitarian aid continued to be blocked from entering Gaza. Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes killed hundreds of Palestinians and renewed ground incursions in both the north and south as part of an operation codenamed “Gideon’s Chariots.”

Israel justified the offensive by citing Hamas’s refusal to release hostages on acceptable terms. On Monday, Israeli authorities said five aid trucks had entered Gaza—an amount far below the minimum daily need.

In a joint statement, the three countries (traditionally staunch supporters of Israel) called the obstruction of aid “unacceptable” and warned that it could violate international humanitarian law. They also criticized Israel’s plans to expand West Bank settlements, and said they would “not hesitate” to take additional steps, including targeted sanctions.

Israel’s full blockade of Gaza in early March has created extreme food shortages, placing much of the population on the brink of famine.

For the fifth time in the past week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas again called yesterday for Hamas to release all hostages and disarm.

Damascus sets deadline for militias to join the state

Syrian defense minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said on Saturday that all armed factions must integrate into the Ministry of Defense within ten days. He noted that most had already done so.

The move is part of an effort by Syria’s new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to reassert control after over a decade of civil war.

Last month saw deadly clashes in the suburbs of Damascus and in southern Syria, including confrontations between members of the Druze community and pro-government gunmen, resulting in more than 100 deaths.

This violence was followed by Israeli strikes in Syria, which it justified as defending the Druze. There is a large and very well integrated Druze population in Israel, which has been strongly advocating for Israeli involvement in Syria to protect their people there.

On 10 March, al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), signed an accord to end the administrative divide between Damascus and the Kurdish-led entity in the northeast.

In March, over 1,500 people, mostly Alawite civilians, were killed in Latakia province by groups aligned with the government. The massacres followed ambushes on security forces by gunmen sympathetic to former president Bashar al-Assad. Killings and kidnappings of Alawites appear to be continuing in the coastal provinces, though at a lower level than in March.

The sectarian dimension of recent violence against Alawites and Druze will complicate Damascus’s attempt to absorb all remaining armed groups into the Ministry of Defense.

Iran warns nuclear talks will collapse if enrichment halted

Iran’s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told state media on Monday that Tehran would withdraw from nuclear negotiations with the United States if forced to eliminate its uranium enrichment program.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that Washington was seeking a deal that would preclude enrichment, a process that can potentially lead to weapons-grade material.

Witkoff told a U.S. television outlet that “even 1 percent enrichment capability” would be unacceptable.”

Officials in Trump’s administration have offered conflicting messages. Witkoff has previously implied that limited enrichment might be tolerable. Trump has also previously declined to categorically reject Iran’s ability to enrich uranium.

Last week, Trump said a deal might be within reach and that military action (something he has repeatedly threatened) might not be needed.

On the weekend, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran favored diplomacy but would not “retreat from our legal rights.” Iranian officials have hinted they may be willing to halt enrichment at levels far below those required for weapons. This seems a long way from U.S. demands.

Europe's center of gravity shifts east, politics moves right, & hostility to migrants from the south rises

UK & EU begin to reset ties with post-Brexit agreement

The United Kingdom and the European Union on Monday announced a sweeping agreement to renew their post-Brexit partnership. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the three-part deal as a “new era” in relations.

The accord comprises a new defense and security pact—its most significant component—as well as steps to improve trade in agricultural goods and electricity.

Starmer said it would deliver a £9 billion boost to the British economy by 2040, though this would offset only a small portion of Brexit’s (the poorly-executed) long-term economic drag.

A contentious provision allows mutual access to fishing waters for 12 years, reducing leverage for future British negotiators and undercutting the British fishing industry but easing trade barriers that had hindered small food exporters.

British travelers to Europe may also be able to use e-gates at European airports, although that will be dependent on the decisions of individual states.

Both London and Brussels have sought closer alignment in recent months, partly in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and equivocal stance on NATO.

It's now the US vs China, everyone else needs to pick a side

China tells Denmark to respect its Taiwan position

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Monday affirmed Beijing’s recognition of Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, while urging Copenhagen to reciprocate by respecting China’s stance on Taiwan.

Rasmussen said he had a “frank talk” with Wang about China’s “deeply problematic” support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and called on Beijing to use its influence to bring the conflict to an end.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has stated that the U.S. may consider asserting control over Greenland, which Washington views as a critical strategic asset in its Arctic rivalry with both Russia and China. The U.S. already has a base in Greenland.

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