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Nearly six months after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the imposition of ultra-high “reciprocal” tariffs – a blatant violation of WTO rules – the global trading system is holding up well. No major economies have followed Trump’s lead, and according to UNCTAD, global trade is expected to increase by about $300 billion in the first half of 2025.
With the U.S. out of sorts, China increasingly authoritarian, and Russia in Dr. Evil mode, the world desperately needs a “good guy” to believe in. There is only one candidate for the job: Europe. No other country or region is free, prosperous, endowed with the right values – and big enough to be an example to the world.
The photo of President Donald Trump at the White House proudly showing off his MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) cap collection to European leaders hastily gathered for peace talks on Ukraine once again raised the question of what drives this strange man. In contrast to his campaign posters and official portrait of a strong man with a sullen Churchill-like expression, this image represented a different, very American stereotype: the ostentatious businessman flaunting his wealth and showing pictures of his children to strangers.
We should all welcome the publication of Chinese-Canadian analyst Dan Wang’s new book, Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future.
Six months into Donald Trump’s second term as president, it is fair to recognize that he has won a complete victory in the realm of economic policy. At least by the standards he has set for himself. Moreover, no U.S. president since World War II has been so successful in imposing his will – maybe with the exception of Ronald Reagan.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet face-to-face on Friday – the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
One can censure Viktor Orban, a friend of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, for many things. But the Hungarian prime minister was not wrong when he noted that Trump had just “eaten [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast” before our eyes. The agreed draft trade agreement between the European Union and the United States imposes a 15% duty on most European goods exported to the U.S. and a 0% duty on American exports to Europe. Obviously, Trump won the match – by a score of 15-0.
When U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shook hands at Trump Golf Club in Scotland on Sunday, they didn’t just announce a new trade agreement. They formalized Europe’s economic and ideological surrender. By agreeing to a 15% duty on most goods exported to the US, the EU capitulated to Trump’s worldview (a zero-sum game). In doing so, the EU abandoned the principles of multilateralism that had long guided world trade.
Today, a new major catastrophe is looming: the rapid warming of the planet and increasing environmental degradation are jeopardizing all sectors of the global economy. While many investors continue with business as usual, as if unaware of what is coming, there is a group of investors who are trying to get off the dangerous path – long-term asset owners, including pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.
For decades, the United States has defended democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Yes, there have been glaring discrepancies between words and reality: during the Cold War, America overthrew democratically elected governments in Greece, Iran, Chile and elsewhere in the name of defeating communism. And within the U.S., there was a struggle for civil rights for African Americans, a century after slavery was abolished. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court is now actively trying to limit attempts to remedy the effects of a long history of racial discrimination.
The European Union last week announced a new package of sanctions in an attempt to increase pressure on Russian Federation for its military operation in Ukraine. The EU hopes that the sanctions will reduce Russian energy revenues. The punitive measures will also put pressure on companies and ships involved in the transportation of Russian oil. In addition, the sanctions target oil products and include lowering the price threshold for oil. The package also includes sanctions measures against Russian companies and banks, as well as against the military-industrial complex.
“Bomb threat! Leave the premises immediately,” a security officer yelled at me during a “Principles First” conference of moderate Republicans gathering in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 22. We learned a little later that the threat came in the form of an untraceable email that said four homemade bombs had been planted “in honor of the January 6 hostages recently released by Emperor Trump.”