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Western alliance

February

Cutting waste from the public service is the only one of Donald Trump’s policies that a majority of respondents would like to see in Australia.

Chalmers straps in for trip to Trump World

The treasurer’s visit to Washington this week shows the difficulties of navigating the risks and presidential whims dominating any interaction with the Trump White House.

Volodymyr Zelensky: “I am ready to step down if it brings peace. Or trade it for NATO.”

Zelensky offers to step down as president in exchange for peace

His offer to step aside follows reports last week that Ukraine may be forced to hold elections before any final deal is signed with Russia.

A closed McDonald’s restaurant in St. Petersburg in 2022 after the war in Ukraine started.

Russian wealth fund sees US companies returning in 2025

Some in Russia think economic ties will soon be resumed following the most senior US-Russia meeting this week on the Ukraine war since it began.

US Vice President J.D. Vance Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

‘Long-stewing hostility’: Europe reels as Trump kills Western alliance

The European Union is rushing to form a response after J.D. Vance’s broadside cut Europe down to size and left leaders shocked.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference.

‘Army of Europe’ needed to challenge Russia: Zelensky

The Ukraine president said the United States can no longer be counted on to support the continent under Donald Trump.

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Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin all seek radical change to the current world order.

Trump is opening the door to Putin’s wildest ambitions

The Russian leader wants a new security architecture to give his country a sphere of influence in Europe.

Fears Kyiv frozen from peace talks after Trump-Putin phone call

The US and Russian presidents’ first phone call since Donald Trump returned to the White House signals a dramatic turnaround in the Washington-Moscow relationship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump just handed Putin the biggest victory of all

The phone call between the leaders about a Ukraine peace deal is a big win for Vladimir Putin’s world view. He believes Ukraine should be frozen out of discussions.

January

As Trump and Putin circle each other, an agenda beyond Ukraine emerges

The Russian leader has made it very clear he is ready to deal, keen to end three years of diplomatic isolation.

The naval ship will participate in NATO’s operation in the Baltic Sea to protect critical infrastructure such as wires and cables.

NATO alarm as another undersea cable ‘sabotaged’

Disruption of the line between Sweden and Latvia follows earlier incidents linked to suspected sabotage by Russia and China.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Buckle up. The ‘Trump tendency’ in foreign policy is on its way

The eccentricities of the Republican’s dogma were apparent in his first administration. However, they mattered less because the world was more stable.

December 2024

Donald Trump is a sworn enemy of what he calls “globalism”.

5 ways ‘America First’ could transform the world in 2025

Donald Trump is leading the way, but Russia and China are also seeking radical change to the status quo.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump depart The Élysée Palace after talks earlier this month.

More aid for Ukraine, but Trump wants 5pc NATO defence spending target

The US president-elect now intends to maintain supplies to Kyiv after his inauguration, but will demand allies more than double their financial commitment.

BRICS leaders Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their recent meet.

Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100pc tariffs

In his latest trade threat, the president-elect warned the group of nine nations with emerging economies against undermining the US dollar.

November 2024

Chinese ship Yi Peng 3 is anchored in the sea of Kattegat, near the Danish city of Grenaa.

Chinese ship dragged anchor for 160km to ‘sabotage’ sea cables

An investigation into the Baltic Sea incident focuses on whether Moscow directed the captain of the Yi Peng 3 to deliberately cut the cables.

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Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017.

Netanyahu arrest warrant is a dangerous problem for the West

Donald Trump is likely to try to destroy the International Criminal Court over the pursuit for Israel’s leaders, but this is not in anybody’s interests.

Vladimir Putin warned a strike would put Russia and NATO at war.

Five scenarios that could trigger Putin to launch a nuclear attack

The Kremlin has revised its nuclear policy. Does that make the use of atomic weapons more likely?

Marco Rubio with Donald Trump at a rally in North Carolina just before election day last week.

Trump taps China hawks in Beijing’s ‘nightmare come true’

The president-elect is set to choose Marco Rubio as his top US diplomat while Representative Mike Waltz is expected to be his new national security adviser.

October 2024

People gather outside the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. on the outskirts of Ankara after the attack.

Turkey strikes Kurdish targets following deadly attack on defence firm

The defence ministry said more than 30 targets were “destroyed” in the aerial offensive, without providing details on the locations that were hit.

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America’s new Asian alliance network will survive beyond Trump

No matter who is in the White House after November 5, the US’ carefully structured latticework of alliances that underpins its regional primacy will continue.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/western-alliance-1mp3