Europe Unscripted

🤔 The big question: Will Ukraine’s resource wealth fuel its rebuilding—or simply become another pawn in great‑power competition?

This deal marks a shift: the US moving from military backer to resource partner, locking in long‑term economic influence.

🛡️ Security guarantees are only mentioned in passing (“delivery of arms”)—no formal US defense commitments were spelled out.

🌍 Germany’s Tagesschau estimates Ukraine could attract $12–15 billion of investments by 2033 under this framework.

The agreement explicitly does not block Ukraine’s EU accession path, nor grant US firms a monopoly—other Western allies (UK, France, Italy) will also vie for projects.

🔄 Donald Trump immediately chimed in: “The US will get back far more than it has invested so far.” 💸

🇺🇦 Ukrainian PM stressed that future military aid can count as contributions to the Fund—but past US support is not retroactively treated as debt.

Under the deal, a Joint Reconstruction Investment Fund will be financed by new licenses to extract Ukraine’s mineral and hydrocarbon wealth—with no repayment obligation for prior US war support.

🇺🇸 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear: “The US has a direct economic stake in Ukraine.” 💼

🤝 Washington and Kyiv have just signed a Reconstruction Investment Agreement, granting US firms privileged access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, oil, and gas.

Meanwhile, the #Kremlin reaffirmed that President #Putin is still open to diplomatic solutions.
“The goals must be achieved, but our preference is peaceful resolution,” said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
#Russia #Putin #PeaceTalks #Peskov

“There is also a Plan B,” she added, “but we must focus on Plan A. Otherwise, we will make Plan B inevitable.”
Talks are ongoing with #Washington and allies to ensure Western sanctions on #Russia remain intact.
#Sanctions #PlanB #TransatlanticRelations

"We see signs they’re considering whether to leave Ukraine behind and not try for a deal with Russia, because it's too hard," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to the Financial Times.
#KajaKallas #EUpolitics #USstrategy #Ukraine

At the same time, #Washington appears to be losing patience.
Officials are considering stepping back from negotiations with #Moscow and #Kyiv on a potential settlement.
#RussiaUkraine #Negotiations #Diplomacy #USpolicy

Amid diverging interests over post-war spoils and reconstruction control, friction grows.
The US and Ukraine signed a deal granting American monopolies access to Ukraine’s natural resources and key infrastructure.
#USUkraine #Reconstruction #Resources #Imperialism

The #EU is reportedly preparing a "Plan B" in case tensions with the #US over the imperialist conflict in #Ukraine escalate into a deeper rupture.
#Geopolitics #EUforeignpolicy #USforeignpolicy #UkraineWar

Latest news on Iberian Blackout

And if a blackout can paralyze a continent in minutes…
what else can?
The question isn’t if anymore.
But when.

Is it a technical glitch?
Negligence?
Or something darker?
What’s clear: Europe’s energy security is more fragile than we thought.

Spain declares Andalusia, Madrid, Murcia, Extremadura in a state of emergency.
Level 3 Civil Protection activated.
The army might get involved.

The Spanish government isn’t ruling anything out.
The National Cybersecurity Institute is investigating a possible cyberattack.

REN (Portugal):

"Fault in the Spanish grid due to extreme temperatures"
Abnormal oscillations = nationwide blackout.

Initial theories:
⚡ Fire on a high-voltage line between southern France and Spain
⚡ Fault in the Spanish grid
⚡ Atmospheric phenomenon?
⚡ Cyberattack?

📍Airports, metros, telecoms.
Everything froze.
People were trapped in trains.
No mobile signal.
Life stopped.

🚨 Blackout across the Iberian Peninsula
Madrid, Lisbon, even cities in France plunged into darkness.
No one knows (yet) what exactly caused it.

#Blackout #Spain #Portugal #Cyberattack?

Trade tensions, corporate results, and political shifts are reshaping the European market landscape.
Investors are watching closely.
Stay tuned. 📈

#Investing #Finance #StockMarket

In currencies, the #euro strengthened by 0.2% against the dollar, now trading at $1.1385.
#Forex #EURUSD

In commodities:

Brent crude oil dropped 2%, trading at $65.52 per barrel.

WTI crude oil fell 1.9% to $61.81 per barrel.

Gold prices rose 1%, reaching $3,333 per ounce.
#Oil #Gold #Commodities

On the corporate front, Italy’s #Mediobanca made a surprise €6.3 billion offer for the wealth management arm of insurance giant #Generali (#BancaGenerali).
#Italy

Meanwhile, #Germany has requested an exemption from #EU borrowing limits.
Finance Minister Jörg Kukies sent a letter to the #EuropeanCommission seeking flexibility to boost defense spending in the coming years.