Vladimir Putin’s foreign-policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, rejected the 30-day ceasefire proposed by America, calling it a “temporary breather” for Ukraine. America and Ukraine agreed to the idea during talks in Saudi Arabia this week. Russia has reportedly proposed conditions for a ceasefire, including that Ukraine be prevented from joining NATO. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, accused Russia of “seeking to prolong the war”.
Writing on Truth Social, Donald Trump threatened a 200% tariff on alcohol from EU countries. America’s president said the move would be a response to the bloc’s $28bn in tariffs on American imports, including a “nasty” 50% levy on bourbon. Earlier Canada also introduced $21bn-worth of retaliatory tariffs on its neighbour.
Hours before his confirmation hearing, the Trump administration withdrew its nomination of Dave Weldon to run the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, America’s primary public-health agency. According to The New York Times, the former Republican congressman and doctor was told by officials that they “didn’t have the votes” to confirm his appointment. Mr Weldon has previously cast doubt on the safety of vaccines.
Andrzej Duda, Poland’s president, told the Financial Times that America should move nuclear weapons to Poland to deter Russian aggression. Mr Duda said he had already discussed the proposal with Keith Kellogg, America’s special envoy for Ukraine. Earlier this month Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, said that the country would consider seeking nuclear weapons and wants to more than double the size of its army.
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, accused China of trying to “absorb” the island, by stepping up “influence campaigns and manipulation” there. Sixty-four people were charged for Chinese espionage in 2024—the majority of whom had been in the army. Mr Lai proposed a raft of countermeasures, including stricter rules on residency applications by Chinese citizens and a restoration of military courts.
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a border deal after three decades of conflict. Tajikistan will reportedly give Kyrgyzstan 25 square kilometres of land in exchange for territory and improved access to shared water resources. The office of Sadyr Japarov, Kyrgyzstan’s president, said that the agreement would foster “security, stability and sustainable development” in Central Asia.
Rodrigo Duterte, a former president of the Philippines, said he would “be responsible for everything” as he prepared to face charges of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The remarks, posted on his Facebook account, are his first since his arrest at Manila airport on Tuesday. In office, Mr Duterte urged police to commit thousands of extra-judicial killings.
Figure of the day: 38%, the share of American college students displaying symptoms of depression in 2024, down from 44% in 2022. Read the full story.
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