Wednesday Briefing: U.S. and Russia discuss cooperation
Good morning. We’re covering the meeting between the U.S. and Russia in Saudi Arabia and migrants trapped in Panama. Plus, the women leading R&B’s new wave.
U.S. and Russia discussed Ukraine, and renewing tiesSenior U.S. and Russian officials agreed yesterday not only to work together on ending the war in Ukraine, but also to cooperate on financial investment and re-establishing normal relations. The negotiations were the most extensive in years between the two global powers. The meeting, which took place in Saudi Arabia, was a head-spinning reset of the Russia-U.S. relationship after three years of Western efforts to isolate Moscow for invading Ukraine in 2022. President Trump again demonstrated his intention to roll back an approach toward Moscow that has included sanctions, isolation and weapon deliveries to Ukraine. He also showed his willingness to cast aside the worries of European allies. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, U.S. officials did not dwell on Russia’s violation of international law in attacking Ukraine, the war crimes Moscow has been accused of, or the three years of devastation caused by Russian shelling and bombardment. Instead, they repeatedly praised Trump for trying to stop the fighting by talking to Russia in a way that President Biden had not. What’s next: Rubio said that the U.S. would engage with Russia about what the end of the war would look like. Both countries would negotiate how to remove restrictions on their embassies in Moscow and Washington and explore new partnerships in geopolitics and in business. What else is on the table: Russia appeared to use the talks to cater to Trump’s interest in profits and natural resources, arguing that U.S. oil companies and others stood to gain hundreds of billions of dollars by doing business in Russia again. Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky, angered that Ukraine had not been invited to the meeting, said he was postponing his own visit to Saudi Arabia, which was planned for today.
Hamas said it would return remains of Israeli hostagesHamas’s chief negotiator said yesterday that militants intended to hand over the remains of four Israeli hostages to Israel tomorrow in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. He and the Israeli prime minister’s office also said the number of living hostages scheduled to be released on Saturday would be increased to six from three. The Hamas negotiator said that members of the Bibas family — some of the most well-known hostages worldwide — would be among the four bodies handed over tomorrow to Israel. Israel did not confirm or comment on that announcement. Lebanon: Israeli forces yesterday retained control over strategic border points in southern Lebanon as a deadline passed for both Israel and Hezbollah to leave the region. Displacement: Thousands uprooted by the war in Lebanon have been unable to reach towns occupied by Israel, but some have tried anyway. For one man, the journey was deadly.
Migrants from the U.S. are trapped in PanamaThe Trump administration has sent hundreds of migrants from Afghanistan, Iran and China to Panama over the last week, where they were confined to a single hotel guarded by armed men. Panamanian officials will decide what happens to them next. The government barred journalists from the hotel, but my colleagues managed to speak by phone with several people locked inside. They told us of their terror and uncertainty, how some deportees attempted suicide while others feared that death waited for them at home. |
