In today’s newsletter: Trump’s stance on the war continues to oscillate while Zelenskyy’s infantry face gruelling stints at the ‘zero line’ amid increasingly lethal Russian attacks
Good morning. It looked, for a moment, as if Donald Trump had finally taken a clear side in the war between Russia and Ukraine: with hints that he might be ready to provide Tomahawk missiles, and a vaunted White House meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, some observers thought he was on the brink of rowing in behind Ukraine in a decisive way.
Then he got on the phone with Vladimir Putin, and agreed to a face-to-face meeting within the next two weeks. And, after the White House meeting on Friday, Trump downplayed the idea that the missiles would be provided. Later reports suggested that the meeting was a “shouting match” in which Trump echoed Russian talking points and added: “If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you.”
Israel-Gaza war | Israel launched waves of lethal airstrikes on Sunday and cut off all aid into Gaza “until further notice” after a reported attack by Hamas, in escalations that marked the most serious threat so far to the increasingly fragile ceasefire. Israel later said that it had “begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire”.
Royals | The Metropolitan police are looking into claims that Prince Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded close protection officer to uncover information about Virginia Giuffre hours before the emergence of a bombshell picture of them together. The news follows Friday’s announcement that Andrew had relinquished his royal titles.
China-UK relations | Approving a Chinese super-embassy in east London could be unlawful if ministers gave Beijing assurances about the project in advance, a top planning lawyer has concluded. The news came as the government denied any political interference in the decision to drop charges against two men accused of spying for China.
France | French police are hunting four thieves who carried out a highly professional daylight robbery on the Louvre, breaking into one of the museum’s most ornate rooms and escaping with eight pieces of “priceless” historic jewellery, including a necklace given by Napoleon to his wife.
Reform UK | The leader of Reform UK’s flagship local authority has told councillors that she has launched a hunt for the “cowards” who leaked a recorded meeting in which she said those who disagreed with decisions would have to “fucking suck it up”. Bitter divisions among Reform members of Kent county council were laid bare at the weekend by the Guardian.
