Trump praises a favorable discussion with European leaders and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
In a significant development, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that Ukraine’s involvement in territorial negotiations is exclusive to its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a virtual meeting involving US President Donald Trump, European leaders, and Zelenskyy [1]. Macron emphasized that there are currently no serious plans for a territorial swap on the negotiating table [1].
The discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine to ensure the protection of its remaining territory, which Macron described as critical for achieving a lasting peace and a main focus of ongoing talks with the US and European allies [3][4][5]. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that Ukraine is ready to discuss territorial issues based on the current line of contact but legal recognition of occupied territories as belonging to Russia is not up for discussion [1].
Meanwhile, Israel's siege of Gaza has led to a shortfall of medical supplies, with one US doctor telling the BBC he had to recycle pins and screws from patients who have died [2]. The Israeli government's plan to take over Gaza City is being met with criticism and concerns about deepening the humanitarian crisis in the enclave. An Israeli strike on a hospital near Gaza City killed four Al Jazeera journalists [12].
On the economic front, the US government's deal greenlighting two American chipmakers' exports to China in exchange for a 15% cut of the revenue is drawing backlash [6]. The decision underscores worries that US President Donald Trump might be "willing to give too much" to secure a trade deal with China [7]. Beijing's exports to the US contracted in July for the fourth straight month, notching a 22% drop from a year earlier [9].
Chinese urged domestic companies to avoid buying Nvidia's H20 chips, claiming they are of poor quality and that they may pose security threats [8]. In response, US inflation held steady in July at 2.7%, falling short of economists' expectations of a slight surge off the back of President Donald Trump's new tariffs, which came into effect last week [10].
Elsewhere, Washington is weighing imposing tariffs over China's purchases of Russian oil [11]. The sudden shuttering of the aid agency earlier this year has led to a free-for-all, with international crime groups piling into the trade [13]. US cuts to foreign aid have weakened anti-poaching efforts in Africa, with Mexican cartels and Chinese triads ramping up their presence in the illegal trade [14].
In Bolivia, a shrinking staple loaf of bread highlights the severity of its economic crisis ahead of Sunday's presidential election [15]. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, vowing to "defend multilateralism" against Washington's threats and agreeing to increase bilateral trade [16].
In a positive note, Trump most recently called on China to buy more soybeans from the US, bringing fresh optimism that trade between the world's largest economies could pick back up [17]. Thousands of firefighters and soldiers have been deployed to battle the wildfires spreading across southern Europe, with at least three people having died and thousands having fled their homes [3].
Lastly, the World Health Organization has warned that Israel's plan to take over Gaza City could exacerbate an already "catastrophic" health emergency [12]. The TRICS group of nations has coalesced into a tighter alliance in the face of Washington's tariff threats [4]. In a significant move, Elon Musk said he would take legal action against Apple and OpenAI after accusing the iPhone maker of favoring the AI firm over rivals, including his xAI [18].
References:
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Reuters
- CNN
- Deutsche Welle
- CNBC
- The New York Times
- South China Morning Post
- Reuters
- CNBC
- Bloomberg
- Al Jazeera
- The Washington Post
- The New York Times
- The Guardian
- Reuters
- CNBC
- The Verge
- The discussions between leaders centered not only on territorial negotiations but also included topics such as lifestyle, education-and-self-development, entertainment, politics, general-news, and sports.
- Amidst concerns about deepening humanitarian crises, the issue of crime-and-justice has arisen in the context of the Israeli siege of Gaza, where a shortfall of medical supplies has been reported.
- In the economic sphere, there has been a focus on security threats, trade conflicts, and tariffs, withivexamples including the US government's deal with Chinese chip purchases, the potential for Chinese tariffs on Nvidia's H20 chips, and Washington's tariffs over China's purchases of Russian oil.
