Washington loosens its grip on two allies while Europe and Ukraine tighten the pressure on Moscow.

Washington's alliances under strain

  • Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint war games with South Korea, tying the move to Seoul's refusal to help on Iran and his rapport with Kim Jong Un (more).
  • Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it 'gets in the way' on Iran and claimed a direct US backchannel to the IRGC, which the Revolutionary Guard denies (more).
  • Canadian provinces are refusing to soften trade positions alongside Ottawa as US tariff threats of up to 50% keep talks stalled (more).

Confronting Russia

  • EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for a sweeping new Russia sanctions package, though no sectors or timeline have been named (more).
  • Ukraine's overnight drone barrage destroyed Russia's largest Wildberries warehouse near Moscow, the biggest strike of 2026 and the latest in a month-long campaign against the retailer (more).
  • Unconfirmed reports put roughly ten new Russian drone bases along the Ukraine and Belarus borders, potentially bringing NATO's Poland within range (more).

Brussels' money questions

  • Latvia's prime minister asked the EU for €7 billion to offset the cost of confronting Russia, with no dedicated fund yet earmarked to pay it (more).
  • The European Commission confirmed states can now also use their deficit-exempt defense clause for energy investment through 2028, a change Italy pushed hardest for (more).

Also worth a glance

  • DR Congo's Ebola outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, is now the deadliest in the country's history (more).
  • Institutions, not resources, explain this week's winners — from Latin American oil producers to Ukraine's arms-tender delays (more).