Washington's retreat on Russia sanctions and Europe's rising street anger and hybrid-war nerves define the day.

US steps back from Russia leverage

  • Trump's 60-day waiver on new Russia sanctions and tariffs, meant to let the administration "analyze" the fallout from a diesel deal with Moscow, is fueling a bipartisan revolt in Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says (more).
  • Zelenskyy is pressing US lawmakers to keep the sanctions regime intact regardless of the pause, as Trump's camp floats reviving European purchases of Russian gas (more).
  • An analysis argues the pause trades US leverage for an unverified ceasefire claim even as Congress, the EU and Ukraine all push the opposite direction, while defense budgets keep outrunning what factories can deliver (more).

Europe's streets and frontlines

  • A nationwide cost-of-living protest in France turned into rioting that burned the historic town hall in Limoges and brought 1,200 arrests, prompting PM Sébastien Lecornu to call it an organized assault (more).
  • US Vice President JD Vance tied the unrest to French migration policy, pulling the episode into American politics, as tens of thousands separately marched in Lisbon over housing costs that have more than doubled since 2017 (more).
  • Polish PM Donald Tusk warned Russia is likely to escalate its hybrid war against Europe before Christmas, after an attempted arson attack on Starlink equipment in Lithuania and amid a US view that Moscow has already moved past "hybrid war" into direct confrontation (more).