February 26, 2025. International news round-up / last 24 hours

International politics is dominated by developments in Ukraine. The intensification of Russian attacks is seen as a form of Kremlin pressure on Kiev to accept an end to the conflict. In parallel, the agreement between the US and Ukraine on the exploitation of Ukrainian resources and the actions of European states to manage relations with the US and increase defensive capabilities are directly linked to the developments in the US-Russia talks.

The war in Ukraine

• Russia continues attacks, including a massive bombing raid on Ukraine, prompting Poland to lift fighter jets from the ground.
• Ukrainian special forces are stepping up their raids in the Donbas, especially in Donetsk.
• The Kremlin rejects the idea of the presence of European troops in Ukraine, despite Donald Trump's statements about Vladimir Putin's readiness to accept this.
• Emmanuel Macron's visit to Washington is not seen as an event that will significantly affect relations between the US and European states. The differences of vision between the two sides remain significant.
• The German finance minister reaffirms the EU's position that Russia will not be repressed in the G7, in opposition to Trump's statements.
• The United States and Ukraine have finalized an agreement on the exploitation of minerals on Ukrainian territory. The agreement is seen as more favorable to Ukraine than the initial formula advanced by the US, but it contains no security guarantees for Kiev.
• Vladimir Putin has reportedly made an offer to Trump for investment in occupied regions of Ukraine, which he calls "our new territories".
• Francewas considering extending its nuclear umbrella over Europe amid uncertainty over US commitment to European security.
• Budapest wants names removed from the list of sanctions imposed on Russia, blocking a new package of European measures.

Other topics

• Tesla sales have dropped significantly in Europe, with several analyses suggesting that the recent actions ofElon Musk and his association with Donald Trump are the cause of this development.
• Many US federal government employees have resigned in protest of Musk's policies.
• The health of Pope Francis, hospitalized and diagnosed with double pneumonia, continues to generate speculation of a possible leadership change at the top of the Catholic Church.

Top entities mentioned

1. Donald Trump
2. Ukraine
3. Vladimir Putin
4. Emmanuel Macron
5. Elon Musk

*****Summary compiled using a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania. The top international topics are identified from the automated monitoring of impactful media sources in Romania, as well as from the tracking of foreign policy topics in mainstream media sources and the pages of the main influencers. The analysis, data and images presented were enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.