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Russia/Ukraine
Hard Numbers: France sends jets to Ukraine, Black women suffer higher maternal mortality, Ismailis get new Aga Khan, Football fans get ready to rumble
A Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the French Air Force takes off.
6 of 26: The French Air Force delivered the first batch of Mirage 2000 fighter jets promised to Ukraine. According to a budget report, France was to transfer six of its 26 Mirage 2000-5 aircraft, but the Elysee will neither confirm nor deny the number “for security reasons.” France also reportedly trained Ukrainian pilots and mechanics to operate the planes.
3.5: Black women in the US died at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than white women during childbirth in 2023, according to new data released this week. While maternal mortality overall fell below pre-pandemic levels, racial gaps widened. The maternal death rate for Hispanic and Asian American women fell from 17 to 12 and 13 to 11 (deaths per 100,000 live births), respectively, and the rate for white women dropped from 19 to 14.5, but the rate of Black maternal death rose from 49.5 to just above 50.
50: Following the death of the Aga Khan on Tuesday, his eldest son, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been named the 50th hereditary spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims. Like his father, Prince Rahim is considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
116.8 million: Are you ready for some football? A whopping 116.8 million viewers are expected to tune in to Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. But the big numbers aren’t just on the screen: Locally, the event is expected to generate $76.3 million in spending in New Orleans: $66.1 million for accommodations, $8.6 million in restaurants, and $1.6 million on transportation. That’s a lot of beer and chicken wings.
Preparations for a Donald Trump-Vladimir Putin meeting are at an “advanced stage,” according to a top Russian lawmaker.
There’s no shortage of agenda items:
The Ukraine war. Brokering a settlement in the three-year-old war that is both realistic and sustainable is top of the agenda. Trump was elected in part on a pledge to end the conflict swiftly. Putin reportedly wants any settlement to be part of a larger US-Russia pact on global issues, and he says he won’t speak to Zelensky directly. Zelensky, meanwhile, wants security guarantees from the US to prevent the conflict from flaring again in the future. Many circles to square.
Nuclear weapons. Virtually all of the US-Russia arms control treaties have lapsed. Drawing up new pacts, which might potentially involve China – a rising nuclear power in its own right – is a key challenge for the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
The Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, a major Moscow proxy, was a blow to Putin. But he is trying at least to maintain his military bases there and remains keen to play a wider role in the region. Russia’s close ties with Iran can be useful as Trump shapes his policy toward Tehran: Is a new US-Iran nuclear deal possible, or will the US – and an ultra-hawkish Israel – take military action to stop Iran’s nuclear program?
Pencil it in: “February or March” is when the summit could happen.Hard Numbers: DOGE cuts boost Palantir stocks, Shooter rampages at Swedish school, Trump makes “rare” demand of Ukraine, Rebels in DRC announce ceasefire
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk addresses a stadium audience in Washington, DC, on Inauguration Day.
10: At least 10 people were believed to be dead following a shooting at an adult education center in central Sweden on Tuesday. As of this writing, police have not released information about the shooter’s identity or motive, except to say that it was a man who is believed to have acted alone.
500,000: What does Donald Trump want in exchange for continuing to support Ukraine? Something rare. The US president suggested on Monday he wanted US access to Ukraine’s rare earths and critical minerals – those used in batteries, microchips, and other advanced technologies. China currently dominates the global supply. Ukraine has at least 15,000 hectares worth of deposits already mapped out, and 500,000 tons of Lithium which could be worth tens of trillions of dollars. Kyiv said it was “ready to work with America.”
900: After more than 900 people were killed last week in the battle for Goma, a key city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who have wrested control of the city from the Congolese army announced a unilateral ceasefire on Tuesday. The move is meant to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid. DRC and Kenyan leaders are to meet next week in a fresh attempt to end the more than three-year-old conflict.Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
What does Putin mean when he says Europe "will stand at the feet of the master"?
It means that he loves to troll his adversaries. Don't you remember when he said that he actually thought Biden would be a better president from Russia's perspective than Trump? He trolls. It's all misinformation. It's propaganda. It's all served to undermine and show that he's powerful, and he can say whatever he wants. And of course, he would love to see a fight between the Americans and their allies, whether it's the Nordics on Greenland or it's Canada on 51st state, or it's Panama on the canal, or it's Europe on tariffs. And he wants to undermine the countries that gets a divide and conquer kind of response from Putin. And that is what he is doing when he trolls the Europeans.
What's next for Panama after deciding to exit China's Belt and Road Initiative?
Well, certainly, of all the countries that are facing a deeply asymmetric relationship on the back of threats from President Trump, Panama is high on that list. And they really are trying to find a way to avoid tariffs and avoid the Americans squeezing them on the canal. And an easy way to do that, because they've heard this now directly from Trump and from Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is that the Chinese have too much influence over transit. And that is particularly true through these port facilities that a Hong Kong-based company, read, China, is in charge of. And so, they are opening investigations into the contract and into how they engage there. And they're also saying they'll pull out of Belt and Road. All of that is clearly going to upset and antagonize the Chinese. And I think that the Panamanians are very, very comfortable showing that they are going to orient much more towards the United States, given how much more they rely on the Americans.
How would a potential Turkey defense pact with Syria reshape power dynamics in the Middle East?
Given who's on the ground in Syria and the fact that the Americans are likely to pull out the over 2,000 troops they have there, and that Trump has said it's really up to Turkey to maintain that relationship, they were the ones that were closest to the rebels that ended up defeating, overthrowing Assad's regime. Not surprised at all that that is where the diplomacy is heading. But that doesn't mean that it's going to be stable, and it certainly doesn't mean that the Kurds on the ground are going to be handled well. And that will be what we need to watch carefully. But Turkey, a NATO ally that has a lot of influence across the region and particularly now on the ground with Syria, I think that'll be relatively stable given the support from the United States. That's it for me, and I'll talk to you all real soon.
On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb offers a cautiously optimistic outlook on US policy toward Ukraine under Trump’s leadership. Joining Bremmer on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Stubb highlights his conversations with the Trump administration, emphasizing that the president’s messaging to Putin is firm and strategic. He believes Trump is focused on securing a deal and expresses confidence that any agreement will ultimately benefit Ukraine.
On the issue of territorial concessions, Stubb draws from Finland’s own history, recalling how his country lost 10% of its land to the Soviet Union but retained its independence. While acknowledging the importance of territory, he argues that Ukraine’s priority must be securing its sovereignty and long-term stability. He sees Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive as a strategically valuable, albeit risky, move that strengthens its negotiating position. Ultimately, he insists this is a long game, and ensuring Ukraine’s security beyond the immediate conflict is the primary goal.
Watch full episode: Europe's new future with Trump 2.0
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
Jenni Hermoso leaves the National Court in Madrid, Spain after testifying on day one of the trial of former national team coach Luis Rubiales, who is accused of forcibly kissing her, February 3, 2025
2.5: Spain’s former soccer chief, Luis Rubiales, wenton trial Monday over the forced kiss he gave star player Jenni Hermoso on live television after the team won the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of 2.5 years not only for the kiss itself but for Rubiales’ subsequent attempts to force Hermoso to downplay the incident amid public outrage.
14: Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, faces a critical decision in Tuesday's Finance Committee vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for health secretary. Cassidy has expressed reservations about Kennedy’s vaccine views. With 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats on the committee, a “no” vote from Cassidy could complicate Kennedy’s path to confirmation by impacting the committee’s recommendation to the Senate.
7: A blast at a Moscow residential building located 7 miles from the Kremlin killedArmen Sargsyan, the leader of a pro-Russian paramilitary group operating in Eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has not commented on the incident but Sargsyan has been wanted since 2014 for murders committed in Kyiv. Ukraine is believed to be the author of several assassinations of high-profile Russian security figures in and around Moscow in recent months.
$50 million: The Democrats are pivoting (back) to the working class. The leading SuperPac that supports the party has created a $50 million “Win them Back” fund to better appeal to Americans without college degrees ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The working class used to be a bulwark of Democratic support but Trump’s economic nationalism message and attacks on “wokeism” have helped him to forge an increasingly multi-racial working-class coalition.
2: Going once, going twice … gone! Sotheby’s is closing down its e-commerce business in China after barely two years. The famed auction house had bet on the wisdom of creating an online market in China, which for decades has been one of the biggest drivers of global demand for high-end luxury goods and elite art. But interest turned out to be weaker than expected, and after Sotheby’s overall auction sales dropped by nearly 25% in 2024, the company brought down the gavel on its China e-commerce business.As Donald Trump returns to the White House, European leaders are reassessing their reliance on the United States for security and economic stability. In a wide-ranging conversation on GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. They discuss the evolving role of Europe in an era of shifting alliances, economic uncertainty, and rising geopolitical risks. In other words, Europe's role in a Trump 2.0 era. Stubb expresses cautious optimism about Trump’s approach to Russia and Ukraine but underscores the need for Europe to take greater responsibility for its defense and technological leadership.
Stubb also acknowledges that Europe is facing a moment of reckoning. Leaders like Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling for increased defense spending and reduced reliance on U.S. security guarantees. Stubb agrees that Europe must strengthen its strategic position but remains wary of the region’s economic competitiveness, particularly in technology, where the US holds a clear advantage.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).
- Envisioning Europe's path forward with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola ›
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