Russia confirmed that Vladimir Putin met Steve Witkoff, America’s envoy to the Middle East, on Thursday, in Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said that Russia shared America’s “cautious optimism” over the ceasefire discussions, but that Mr Putin still has “a number of questions”. Earlier Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, said that Mr Putin was setting so many pre-conditions that “nothing will work out at all”.
Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month on month in January. A contraction in the manufacturing sector offset a modest rise in services. The figures are a blow to Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, who is expected to introduce spending cuts in her spring statement on March 26th. Markets expect the Bank of England to cut rates twice this year to bolster the economy.
The Trump administration reportedly asked the Pentagon for “credible military options” to ensure it retains “unfettered” access to the Panama Canal. Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he will reclaim the waterway, which he claims is “ripping off” American consumers with exorbitant transit fees. Panama’s government has made several concessions to Mr Trump, but it has so far received nothing in return.
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s incoming chancellor, reportedly agreed on a spending plan with the Green Party. Earlier this month he proposed relaxing Germany’s constitutional “debt break” to boost spending by hundreds of billions of dollars, particularly in defence and infrastructure. Mr Merz needs the Greens’ support to secure a two-thirds majority when the package goes to a vote in parliament next Tuesday.
Gold prices surged past $3,000 per troy ounce for the first time, driven by fears that Mr Trump’s tariffs will slow global growth. The metal has risen by 14% this year as investors seek a safe haven. Purchases by central banks and expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates have also fuelled demand (lower rates make non-yielding assets like gold more attractive).
America approved a loan worth $5bn for a liquefied-natural-gas project in Mozambique, run by TotalEnergies, a French oil company. Work on the site was put on hold in 2021 following an attack by Islamist militants. America’s decision could restart the project, which would “significantly help global energy security”, according to Mozambique’s energy minister. The south-east African country has vast untapped gas reserves.
Greenland’s probable new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said he would reject American efforts to take over the semi-autonomous state. Mr Nielsen, whose centre-right Democrats came first in elections this week, also said that he wanted full independence from Denmark. Earlier, Mr Trump told NATO’s commander that America needs Greenland for its security, and that he would probably annex it.
Figure of the day: 74%, the proportion of Ukrainians who favour fighting even without American support, according to a recent poll. Read the full story.
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