Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

What We’re Watching: Zelensky’s turn to meet with Trump, Israelis protest against Bibi again, Hong Kong media mogul faces trial

Metropolitan Police Department officers secure 16th Street near the White House, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 17, 2025.

Metropolitan Police Department officers secure 16th Street near the White House, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 17, 2025.

REUTERS
By Zac Weisz,
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
See Full Bio
Lizzy Yee
Lizzy Yee
See Full Bio
August 18, 2025

Zelensky heads (back) to the White House

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Washington today, meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss a potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war and hoping for a better outcome than his last visit to the Oval Office earlier this year. This time he’s bringing friends, European leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and the UK’s Keir Starmer, who are offering their support as he attempts to keep his country intact.

The confab follows Trump’s Alaska meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, which produced very little by way of a ceasefire in Ukraine. While Zelensky will hope that this visit is more cordial than his last, he is likely still feeling the pressure: Trump reportedly told European leaders yesterday that he supports Putin’s offer to pause fighting if Ukraine relinquishes the Donbas region, even though Russian forces don’t currently hold this land. Zelensky has ruled out such a land swap. The US president also said on social media last night that his Ukrainian counterpart should forget about regaining Crimea or joining NATO.

Is there any timeline for peace here? With the White House now pushing for a peace deal rather than just a ceasefire, don’t expect an imminent pause in fighting, says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Washington is nonetheless trying to strike a positive tone, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff declaring on Sunday that Russia had agreed to “robust” security guarantees, including a collective defense of Ukraine by American and European forces should Russia try to invade again.

Anti-Netanyahu protests growing in Israel

Is Israel’s anti-Bibi wing back to pre-October 7 levels? Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv – and other parts of Israel – on Sunday to implore Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a deal to return the remaining hostages. The crowds were roughly the same size as the rallies against Netanyahu’s judicial changes in early 2023. The protests came after the Security Cabinet approved a plan to conquer Gaza City two weeks ago, a possible signal that the Knesset is prioritizing rooting out Hamas over returning the hostages.

In latest setback for Hong Kong’s democracy, a media mogul faces trial

Closing arguments are underway in a landmark trial against Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, one of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy figures. Lai ran the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, which China has criticized for spreading “fake news” and instigating “Hong Kong Independence”. After being held in solitary confinement for around 1,700 days, he is being charged under the controversial National Security Law for conspiring to collude with foreign forces and publishing so-called “seditious” articles. If convicted, the 77-year-old could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
ukrainerussiawhite housetrumppeace talksnetanyahuisraelgazahong kongdemocracypro-democracy protestschinajimmy lairussia-ukraine war

Latest Videos

Iran war ceasefire holds … for now | Quick Takeplay icon
Quick Take

Iran war ceasefire holds … for now | Quick Take

What China wants from Trump's Beijing visit
GZERO World Clips

What China wants from Trump's Beijing visit

Kim Jong Un's winning nuclear bet
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

Kim Jong Un's winning nuclear bet

How global leaders are tackling the water crisis
World Bank & IMF Meetings

How global leaders are tackling the water crisis

North Korea's nuclear bet paid off
Ian Explains

North Korea's nuclear bet paid off

Adapting to a more volatile market environment
World Bank & IMF Meetings

Adapting to a more volatile market environment

More For You

Hormuz feud escalates ahead of ceasefire deadline, Saudi halts weapons shipment for Sudanese army, Venezuela’s Machado reiterates election call while in Spain

Armed security personnel stand guard near the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 19, 2026.

Armed security personnel stand guard near the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 19, 2026. Heightened security measures were implemented around the venue ahead of the scheduled second round of technical-level talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations, aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement to the weeks-long conflict that has disrupted global energy supplies.

Middle East Images via Reuters Connect
Strait of Hormuz feud escalates, jeopardizing further US-Iran talksThe US Navy this weekend seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship seeking to break Washington’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran vowed to retaliate, and sent mixed signals on whether it would join further talks with the US in Pakistan this week. Hormuz traffic is now, once again, [...]

US-Iran ceasefire talks gain steam, Leading leftists meet in Barcelona, The EU may have a new Russia ally

​A crowd celebrates after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, on April 17, 2026.

A crowd celebrates as displaced people return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, on April 17, 2026.

REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Is an end to the Iran war in sight?The 10-day ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Lebanon took effect last night – one that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah acknowledged but hasn’t said whether they’d abide by – has added some momentum to the US-Iran ceasefire talks. US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the war “should be ending [...]

Putin makes big gamble, Israel and Lebanon agree to ceasefire, Riyadh reportedly plans to halt funds for golf tour

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on April 14, 2026.​

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Rosseti CEO and Board Chairman Andrei Ryumin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on April 14, 2026.

Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS
Putin ups the ante – but should he?Russia continues to bombard Ukraine, killing 17 people in a wave of drone and missile attacks overnight. But the Parliament also signed a law on Tuesday that would allow the military to attack any country that holds Russians captive. Europe fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use this as a pretext to [...]

Iran threatens another waterway, Guyana sees economic boom, IMF warns of economic impact from Middle East conflict

Houthi solders gather in front of a digital billboard in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 11, 2025.

Houthi solders gather in front of a digital billboard featuring a Houthi Unmanned surface vehicle in the Red Sea during a protest against the United States and Israel, amidst the ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 11, 2025.

IMAGO/ Sanaa Yemen
There’s another waterway to worry aboutWhile the world’s attention for the last month and a half has been on the Strait of Hormuz, it may soon switch to another vital shipping lane in the Middle East: the Red Sea. Why? On Wednesday, Tehran threatened to halt shipping there if the United States continued its blockade of ships that stopped at [...]