U.S. Diplomacy

U.S. envoys in Berlin promoted a "very, very strong" Article Five‑like security package — described as NATO‑style, with oversight and deconfliction mechanisms and intended for Senate backing — while Ukraine signaled it could drop its NATO bid for legally binding guarantees even as sharp disagreements remain over territorial concessions (U.S. drafts envision Ukraine withdrawing from roughly 14% of Donbas into a demilitarized free‑economic zone). Negotiators reported progress but not resolution on maps, a BlackRock pro‑bono team coordinating with the World Bank has formed to plan financing and reconstruction, and intense Russian strikes on Odesa and mass power outages underscored the urgency of talks.

Thailand on Saturday formally rejected President Trump’s announcement that Bangkok and Phnom Penh had agreed to a cease‑fire, with the Thai foreign ministry and Prime Minister Anutin saying no truce exists and that military operations will continue until threats stop. The clashes entered a sixth day of cross‑border shelling and Thai airstrikes (including F‑16s and naval operations) and Cambodian BM‑21 rocket fire — each side blames the other for starting the violence — leaving at least 20 people dead and more than half a million people displaced amid large evacuations along the roughly 500‑mile border.