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Witkoff–Kushner mission exposes divide between Washington and Kyiv
James Davis reports that Kyiv rejected core elements of Trump’s peace plan during difficult Miami talks, while the US delegation’s subsequent five-hour meeting with Putin produced cautious signals but no breakthroughs. Moscow doubts Washington can secure Ukrainian or congressional buy-in, and ongoing Russian gains in Donbass and Zaporizhzhia reinforce the Kremlin’s belief that the military track remains the more reliable path.
Merz scrapes through pension vote but loses authority in the process
Diego Faßnacht writes that Merz passed his pension reform only because DIE LINKE abstained and younger CDU/CSU rebels tactically stood down. The episode exposes weakening coalition discipline, rising SPD leverage, and diminishing prospects for broader economic reform as Germany attempts to manage its fiscal and demographic pressures.
No more pandas in Japan as Takaichi’s China stance backfires
Scott Foster reports that Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan have triggered renewed Chinese economic retaliation, including curbing tourism, seafood imports, and cultural ties, while France moves to improve relations with Beijing. With Japan likely to lose its last pandas and bond yields rising ahead of a BOJ hike, both diplomatic and market pressures on Tokyo are intensifying.
