News Digest

Good morning. Here's your daily news digest for today.

Starting with international news from Foreign Policy. The U.S. president conspicuously lacks any deeper strategic insight into why the war started, why it continues, and how it will end. Trump has already shown remarkable flexibility on his tariff deadlines. Details remain vague on what weapons Ukraine will get, how many, and when. An Israeli ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism, announced it would quit the government. The move leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with just one seat in the Knesset. The decision comes after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the country's religious students should not be required to serve in the military. After three years of intense fighting, Sudan’s civil war has settled into a deadly stalemate. Neither side is seriously targeting the other's leadership, nor their respective gold-mining profit centers. Frida Ghitis: Belligerents may keep up fight, but civilians' ability to survive erodes by the day. Chinese underground bankers laundered more than $21 million in proceeds over several years as a service to trafficking groups. These brokers help affluent Chinese seeking to move wealth abroad, evading China’s currency controls. The groups are insular and decentralized, which makes them difficult to penetrate. The state visit to the United Kingdom of French President Emmanuel Macron will be remembered as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “surrender summit” So declared the Daily Telegraph, a previously sensible Conservative paper. This vocal and still politically significant minority sees any attempt at a rapprochement with Paris or Berlin as selling out. The U.S. has asked European allies to stay out of Asia and the Middle East. The 2025 NATO summit communique included no mention of China or the Indo-Pacific. Europe remains an economic, regulatory, diplomatic, and moral superpower. Washington needs Europe’s help to defeat China. Marco Rubio's first visit to the Indo-Pacific as secretary of state last week was an entirely forgettable, regrettable affair. He spent just 36 hours on the ground, prompting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to joke “can I take his passport away?” Rubio did not represent U.S. policies well at this venue. The European Union is preparing to launch a strategic stockpiling program for critical minerals. The move signals Brussels’s intent to reduce vulnerabilities in the supply of key raw materials and components. Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 90 percent of growth in refined supply came from a handful of dominant suppliers.

From the political scene, Politico reports: European Commission plans to be unveiled on Wednesday. Figure, for seven years from 2028, would represent increase from €1.2 trillion. Could be changed before announcement Wednesday. Comes just two months after the Commission suggested it. François Bayrou’s plans to find €40 billion in budget adjustments for 2026 look likely to bring down his government. The far-right leader wants her country to embrace AC as temperatures rise due to climate change. DigitalEurope, CCIA Europe and ITI could be barred from Parliament. More than a dozen EU countries and a parliamentary committee have urged the European Commission not to axe the bill. Only about 1 in 10 respondents to YouGov survey say Brussels should loosen its grip on U.S. tech giants. The approach appears to be inspired in part by Donald Trump’s attacks on the left in the U.S. “We can find a common path,” Lars Klingbeil said of upcoming negotiations with the European Commission. The National Security Strategic Investment Fund has ties to MI5, MI6, and GCHQ. It has been criticized for failing to anticipate major changes to the AI landscape. The fund has been criticised for not anticipating major changes in the way AI is used. The International Criminal Court (ICC) said it was hit by a “sophisticated and targeted’ cyberattack. “It’s a dark time,” says one official at the World Health Organization. NATO chief says he’s convinced Spain will have to spend 3.5 percent, even if Madrid doesn’t want to. U.S. president has said Europe should pay for the missile systems Kyiv needs, but the bloc's top diplomat wants to split the bill. European Commission president defeats far-right plan to bring her down. Kaja Kallas is virtually certain to win Thursday’s motion against her. But her problems are just beginning.Governments want guarantees to make sure the terms of an EU-Israel aid deal are being respected. Germany and other European countries got the U.S. administration to aid Ukraine without directly confronting Putin. “We simply can’t solve a challenge like this by acting alone,” British prime minister says. Authorities say Daniil Kasatkin arranged payoffs for a ransomware ring. Valery Gergiev will perform at a festival in Italy, his first European concert since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The model works well for the Kremlin because it allows it to easily recruit freelancers. The event demonstrates that a nation can be strong and resolute while also posing no threat. Let’s invite them to contribute their ideas. Merz’s comments come at a time of increased friction between Berlin and Paris over a program to build next-generation jets. Germany and France have signed off on a new 5 percent of GDP defense spending target by 2035. The European Commission is trying to cut the budget for the European Union's farm budget. The move is designed to make it easier for the EU to fund its own agriculture programs. But it will also make it harder for national governments to fund their own farming programs. The names and contact details of more than 18,000 Afghans were accidentally leaked in February 2022. The government insists it’s not shielding the US president from scrutiny. Watered down social security reforms dominated grilling of the PM. The probe is based on complaints from a lawmaker and an unnamed senior civil servant. Prime minister earlier announced plans to save billions of euros by making people work on Easter Monday and VE Day. Pentagon had ordered a halt to shipments of some military aid over fears that U.S. weapons stockpiles were running low. Prime Minister Robert Golob’s bombshell referendum plan rocks coalition allies and experts in Ljubljana. The names and contact details of more than 18,000 Afghans were accidentally leaked in February 2022. A court injunction kept the blunder under wraps. Watered down social security reforms dominated grilling of the PM. Merz also urged the U.S. to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot missile defense systems to protect against Russia’s escalating bombardments. European Commission: “The rising number of migrants smuggled across the channel is alarming.” The European Commission is set to vote on a new deal with Ukraine. The deal would see the EU take control of some of the country's energy supplies. The EU is also set to take over some of Ukraine’s water resources. “Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,” Trump says in an excoriating post aimed at the Russian president. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on track to form a majority government, powered by a backlash to U.S.-style MAGA politics.

And from Lithuania, LRT news covers: US President Donald Trump has said Patriot missile defence systems will be sent to Ukraine to support its efforts to repel Russia. Germany has agreed to foot the bill for at least two Patriot batteries. The announcement came as US special envoy to the Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv for a week of talks. Germany has agreed to pay for US Patriot systems to Ukraine. Pistorius confirmed in an interview that it wouldn’t send long-range Taurus missiles. Taurus KEPD 350 is a joint German-Swedish cruise missile that is deployed from aircraft. The city of Vilnius launched its first electric passenger boat on the Neris River near Žvėrynas on Monday. The second vessel is expected to arrive soon, with passenger services set to begin by the end of July. The electric boats are part of a broader initiative by the municipal company Vilniaus viešasis transportas. Lithuanian foreign minister calls on EU to step up pressure on Georgia. Almost all opposition leaders, several journalists and activists have been detained. Georgia has been plagued by political and mass protests since the parliamentary election. Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his family reported total assets worth approximately €2.3 million and liabilities of €37,000. The majority of their wealth – around €1.7 million – is held in company shares. Culture Minister Šarūnas Birutis is the wealthiest among members of Lithuania's cabinet. Environment Minister Povilas Poderskis declared the lowest net worth. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if it does not back down from its invasion of Ukraine. The EU has agreed to send weapons to Ukraine to help defend against the Russian invasion. A Russian-made drone flew into the Lithuanian territory from Belarus last week. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius is calling on Lithuania and neighbouring countries to build a regional ‘drone wall’ Mindaugas Navys joined the board of the electronic money institution Pervesk in late May. The Bank of Lithuania raised no objections to the appointment, according to 15min.lt. Law enforcement launched a pretrial investigation into the Bankera crypto token project in May. Lithuanian nuclear power plant shut down in 2010 after 25 years of operation. Government working group assessing feasibility of return to nuclear power. Advocates claim deployment of several units could deliver genuine energy independence. Critics say concept is being overhyped and details remain unclear. Each reactor could cost up to €1 billion. Canada has plans to deploy them. Poland has already selected suitable sites, and Estonia is also considering the option. Negotiations are ongoing with partners in Italy and the United States.

Finally, The Economist features: How the economy evades every crisis, China and Europe’s savage squabble, Britain has a rare opportunity to lure American talent, Europe must change if it wants to be green and competitive, says the CEO of Mercedes, The Telegram: Cynical realism won’t save India from Donald Trump, Five charts explain Trump’s cuts to foreign aid, Feather boas and bald caps: the wacky world of concert fashion, Kyiv reprieve: Trump loses patience with Putin and offers Ukraine arms, Americans are catching on to the joys of British food. Yes, really, The US in brief: We don’t need no education, Lost in translation: how language complicates US-China relations, and Why Hamas’s defeat seems imminent.

That concludes your daily news digest. Stay informed, stay engaged.